Since our inception, we began offering hormone replacement therapy to our transgender participants. In 2003, St. James Infirmary expanded our services to include a transgender specific clinic night. Our strategies of community-driven outreach and education to the transgender community, our allies and the general public increase our reach and impact. Unfortunately, after having expanded our services to offer a clinic night tailored to the needs of transgender Sex Workers, by late 2005 again we had reached our capacity to enroll new participants into our hormone therapy program. It then became clear we needed to further expand our services. Thanks to a grant from the Third Wave Foundation & Folsom Street Events, as of early 2009 we have opened up our new appointment-based Transgender Health Services program, STRIDE, in an all new timeslot: Thursdays from 1pm-4pm.
The Mission of the St. James Infirmary Stride Program is to support & serve our transgender participants with their medical, social & psychological health. With a peer-based model, we have created a hormone therapy team of transgender & cisgender health care professionals. We work collectively to support & serve our transgender participants.
All participants are evaluated individually within the framework of peer counseling, medical evaluations, medical care, and care referrals. All care will be tailored to the individual participant’s specific situation and addressed in an ongoing continuum of care. Our foremost concern will always be the health and well being of the participants.
In an attempt to acknowledge and address any past negative or discriminatory experiences with the health care system, we strive to offer consistent non-judgmental care & services. We work to assist our participants in their self-actualization & determination.
Providing our transgender sex working community with greater health, sex, drugs, legal, or defense skills, we support each participant’s well being in sustainable ways. We now have returning participants from eleven years ago, who have referred their friends, who have outreached to their co-workers, who have brought in their children to receive education and health care. We create a supportive environment and nurture that incredible chain of mentorship and advocacy.
To make an appointment to enroll in our Transgender Health Services program please call (415) 554-8494.