Planned Parenthood Elect Gay Board Member and Experiences Growth of Transgender Services.

​Dr. Boyd Lindsley has been elected chair of the board of directors of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. The 23-member board is from a 22-county region of Florida, which includes Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples.
 
Lindsley began volunteering for Planned Parenthood in 2011 and joined the board in 2013. He and his husband, Michael Farmer, live near Orlando, where he is the senior associate director for the University of Central Florida’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media. Lindsley is a recognized leader in the LGBTQ community and serves on committees for Equality Florida and the Zebra Coalition.

Three years after launching services for transgender patients, the program at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida continues to grow rapidly. The number of transgender patients receiving services has increased from 180 during the 2016 – 2017 fiscal year to 1,152 during 2018 – 2019.
 
“As a member of the LGBTQ community, I know how important these services are,” said Dr. Boyd Lindsley, chair of the board of directors of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. “We are proud to provide sexual and reproductive health care that is inclusive, compassionate and non-judgmental.”
 
Transgender services are offered at ten health centers in the 22-county region that includes Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples. Patients can receive hormone replacement therapy, cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, and sex education that includes transgender people’s identities and experiences. While most patients live locally, some travel from other states, including Georgia and Virginia.
 
“The most rewarding part of working with this program is seeing the dramatic change in patients,” said Michelle Tarte, a physician’s assistant at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. “Patients often struggle with depression when they arrive and are extremely happy by the time they complete the program. It is life-saving.”

The mission of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida is to provide affordable access to comprehensive reproductive health care and accurate health information through patient care, education and advocacy.