The Breast Health Center team believes that identifying with a gender that is different from one’s sex is part of the normal variety of the human experience and that people with all gender identities, including non-binary and genderqueer identities, deserve equal access to the highest quality care.
Kent Breast Health Center
455 Toll Gate Rd
Warwick, RI 02886
P: 401-736-3737 ext. 2
We understand that it can be difficult to get personalized information about personal risk of breast cancer, screening recommendations, genetic testing, and gender-affirming surgery. People of all gender identities have varying levels of breast cancer risk, influenced by hormone use, personal and surgical history, as well as family history.
The Gender Affirming Clinic at Kent Breast Health Center offers personalized consultation to discuss your own personal risk factors.
Breast Cancer Screening
Genetic Counseling and Testing
We will work with you and your health care providers to understand your goals and develop personalized plans to meet your needs. Not all people in the gender spectrum want or need gender-confirming medical or surgical treatment, however, those with distress or gender dysphoria have a right to these medically necessary procedures.
If a person’s discomfort is negatively affecting their quality of life and/or relationships, the goal of gender-affirming surgery is to help individuals achieve better gender congruence by improving their desired physical gender expression and allowing them to inhabit their bodies more comfortably. We feel strongly this leads to improved self-confidence, overall mental health, and a greater sense of security and safety in public and private settings.
Gender-affirming surgery is not a single procedure, but a complex team process involving multiple medical, mental health, and surgical specialties working together. At The Breast Health Center at Kent, our surgical focus and expertise is top surgery. This includes masculinizing chest surgery in transmen and nonbinary individuals, and feminizing breast surgery for transwomen and nonbinary individuals. We follow the standards of care set forth by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).
Though gender-affirming surgery is medically necessary, there is still great variability in coverage and medical necessity criteria for gender-affirming top surgery across insurance companies. The Breast Health Center at Kent is not able to recommend particular insurance companies or plans, as there is much variation from insurer to insurer and plan to plan. If you have questions about your insurance coverage for gender-affirming medical care, please contact your insurance company directly.
While we can inform people about the insurance plans that are accepted for payment at Care New England (and most plans are accepted) the fact that a plan is accepted at Care New England does not provide any information about what services the insurance plan will cover. In order to know what one’s insurance plan will cover, it is necessary to call the insurer and ask them directly. In order to ensure accurate information from the insurer, it is sometimes advisable to obtain a copy of one’s actual insurance plan.
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