Piñero Preventive Medical Care

PERSONALIZED CARE & TREATMENT OPTIONS

LGBTQ+ Health

Patients in the LGBTQ+ community are often faced with unique struggles when it comes to healthcare. Research shows that you’re less likely to have access to essential preventive and treatment options because of the social stigma, or even discrimination, that you may face.

Finding a caring provider who understands your unique health concerns is only a phone call away with Piñero Preventive Medical Care. Their convenient downtown Orlando practice specializes in LGBTQ+ health, including screening and diagnostic needs. You’ll feel confident that your caring provider genuinely understands you and has your best health in mind. It’s easy to request your first visit online.

STI/STD Prevention and Wellness Screening

If you are sexually active, getting regularly tested for STIs/STD’s is an important part of your overall health. Many STIs/STD’s don’t cause any symptoms so getting tested is the only way to know. All STIs/STD’s are treatable and many are curable. Screening, diagnosis, and treatment for most sexually transmitted infections STIs/STD’s is available, including HIV testing and counseling. Our nurse practitioners and doctors provide confidential exams and counseling related to your sexual and reproductive health.

PrEP treatment

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is when people at risk for HIV take daily medicine to prevent HIV and/or if you have multiple sexual partners or are a sex worker. PrEP can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. When taken daily, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV from sex or injection drug use. PrEP is much less effective when it is not taken consistently.

Studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken daily. Among people who inject drugs, PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by at least 74% when taken daily. Patient assistance programs for PrEP are available in coordination with Hope and Help of Central Florida. Please inquire with one of our providers for additional information.

HIV Screening & Early Initiation of ART

People with HIV who are aware of their status can get HIV treatment (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) and remain healthy for many years. Studies show that the sooner people start treatment after diagnosis, the more they benefit from ART. Treatment with ART reduces the amount of HIV in the blood (called viral load), reduces HIV-related illness, and helps prevent transmission to others. People with HIV who take HIV medicine as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load (or stay virally suppressed) have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to HIV-negative sex partners.

Vaccinations

You may not realize that you need vaccines throughout your life. Adults need to keep their vaccinations up to date because immunity from childhood vaccines can wear off over time. You are also at risk for different diseases as an adult. Vaccination is one of the most convenient and safest preventive care measures available.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, helps you meet your identifying needs as a transgender individual. For instance, with feminizing hormone therapy, your treatments help suppress male characteristics while developing female characteristics. You’ll start experiencing growth in your breasts, more fat building up around your waist, a reduction in body hair, less muscle mass, and a difference in how much (or how often) you sweat.

With masculinizing hormone therapy, the opposite occurs. Your treatments start suppressing female characteristics while building up male characteristics. As your body begins to change, you’ll start to grow facial hair, have a lower voice, gain more muscle mass, notice more body hair, and experience a redistribution of your body fat.

LGBTQ+ Health Q&A

What is LGBTQ+ health?

The providers at Piñero Preventive Medical Care understand the challenges you go through. LGBTQ+ health involves evaluating and treating you as a person, rather than treating a disease or condition. Your dedicated practitioner will get to know you. He or she will evaluate your mental health, home safety, signs of victimization, and overall well-being.

LGBTQ+ health can include:

Sexual wellness screenings
STD prevention or treatment
STD testing
Counseling services
Vaccinations
Chronic disease treatment
HIV screening
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Why is LGBTQ+ health so important?

It’s so important for you to develop a relationship with a trusted provider. After all, you do want to lead a long, healthy life by minimizing your risk of any chronic issues. Routine LGBTQ+ health maintenance is important to:

Eliminate health disparities in the LGBTQ+ community
Decrease incidents of disease transmission
Delay or stop disease progression
Reduce overall future health costs
Help you prevent future health issues
Improve your mental and physical well-being

How do I talk to my doctor about my LGBTQ+ health concerns?

While it might seem awkward at first, you should talk with your doctor just like you’re talking with your best friend — you have to be open and honest. Because the practitioners at Piñero Preventive Medical Care have been active in the LGBTQ+ community for years, they have seen and heard just about anything you can imagine.

The doctors, nurse practitioners, and nurses are here to care for you and are genuinely concerned about your health. By sharing as much as you can about your lifestyle, they’ll get a better understanding of which types of diagnostic screenings you may need and how to help you prevent future problems. Plus, you’ll have someone to contact if you ever need to be seen in the office on an urgent basis.

Patient Testimonials

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