What to Expect at Your First Appointment at the DSD Center
The Differences of Sex Development (DSD) team at Cincinnati Children’s provides compassionate care for children and teens diagnosed with differences of sex development. Physicians from several different specialties—including endocrinology, gynecology, urology, genetics and psychology—all work together to meet your / your child’s complex needs.
At our center, we are dedicated to working closely with patients and families to deliver personalized care that improves your / your child’s well-being. We provide education about your / your child’s condition, to help empower you and your child to be an active part of their care.
We serve patients from across the country and globe. We offer comprehensive care to address your / your child’s physical, mental and emotional needs. In addition to physician specialists, you will receive support from our child life specialist, genetic counselor, social worker, ethicists and others.
Making an Appointment
Parents or patients may make an appointment by contacting us. During the first phone call, you will begin discussing your / your child’s history and concerns with our clinic coordinator. We will ask for medical records and insurance information before scheduling your appointment.
Preparing for Your Visit
Before your / your child’s first visit, you may be asked to complete some questionnaires about your / your child’s health. We may arrange for some testing, such as blood testing or imaging scans. We will go over test results, if any, with you during your appointment.
On the Day of Your Visit at the DSD Center
Before Your Appointment
Plan to arrive about 30 minutes before your / your child’s appointment. This will allow you 15 minutes to park and walk to our clinic, and 15 minutes to check in at our registration desk.
The DSD Center is in the Cincinnati Children’s Burnet Campus in Location A, on the first floor, in the Nephrology / Urology / Gynecology clinic.
Please contact us if you are running late for your appointment.
At Your Appointment
We will do our best to make your first visit to the DSD Center as informative and convenient as possible for you and your family. New patient visits usually take about two hours and generally involve seeing two or more providers. We use this time to get to know you/your child and begin to meet your / your family’s needs. This visit gives you the chance to ask lots of questions to help you understand your / your child’s diagnosis and treatment options.
We wish to provide holistic care for our patients and families, focused on the needs of the entire family. You will meet with both medical providers and our team psychologist. The clinic visit may include a physical exam, genetic testing, lab testing or imaging studies, if needed. We may discuss treatment options such as:
- Psychosocial support
- Medical care, including hormone treatment
- Surgical procedures when indicated
We want to ensure a healthy well-being for families caring for a person with a complex medical condition. We encourage parents and patients to be active partners in the care team.
Clinic Visits by Age Group
For patients from birth to adolescence, clinic visits include parents or guardians to be present and provide us with accurate health information regarding their child.
Older teens will be given the opportunity to meet with providers on their own without parents present for a portion of visits, if desired. Teens may request the physical exam without the presence of their parents for privacy.
Clinic visits for young adults generally include parents or guardians to be present only at the direction of the patient to ensure autonomy and privacy.
After Your Visit at the DSD Center
You will receive a document called an “After Visit Summary” before you leave the office. It will also be available through MyChart. It includes important details about the next steps in your / your child’s care, including any upcoming appointments and tests. You are welcome to contact us by phone or MyChart or through our coordinator, if you have any questions after the visit.
