Child & Adolescent Gender Center
The UCSF Child and Adolescent Gender Center (CAGC) offers comprehensive medical and psychological care, as well as advocacy and legal support, to transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse children and adolescents. We bring together experts from both UCSF and elsewhere to promote gender health and positive outcomes for children and adolescents exploring gender identity and expression.
The CAGC accepts new patients ages 3 to 17. Before the onset of puberty, our care focuses strictly on social and emotional development, and we don’t offer gender-affirming medical treatments. Once a patient reaches puberty, gender-affirming medical treatments may be considered following a thorough mental health assessment by a gender specialist.
Our program is housed within the UCSF Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, enabling us to offer the most advanced medical care. If appropriate, and only in adolescents who have begun puberty, treatment may include gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (puberty blockers), medications that can safely suppress pubertal changes by blocking production of the principal sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone.
This fully reversible treatment gives young people time to achieve greater awareness of their gender identity without going through irreversible physical changes that may not align with their gender identity. For adolescents seeking gender care support at our clinic, our experts may prescribe gender-affirming sex hormones only after a mental health assessment by a gender specialist.
The CAGC does not provide gender-affirming surgeries. We refer older adolescents and young adults who are considering gender-affirming surgery to medical providers outside the CAGC.
The CAGC has locations in San Francisco, Oakland and San Ramon. For more information, call (415) 353-7337.
Adults can receive care from the UCSF Gender Affirming Health Program. Please call (415) 885-7770 for information.
Our specialties
Pediatric Endocrinology
Adolescent Medicine
Psychology
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Social Work
Nursing
Awards & recognition
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One of the nation's best for endocrinology & diabetes care
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Ranked among the nation's best in 11 specialties
Plan your visit
What to Bring
- Photo I.D.
- Health insurance card
- Insurance authorization, if required
- Doctor's referral, if required
- Recent test results related to your child's condition
- List of medications, including dosages, plus any your child is allergic to
- List of questions you may have
- Device or paper for taking notes
Support services
Our research initiatives
Fetal surgery firsts
The first open fetal surgery in the world was performed at UCSF in the early 1980s.
