At FOLX, our membership is about more than just visits with your clinicians and your medications. Wellness is about holistic health, and that includes community support for your mental wellbeing, too. The FOLX Community Platform is a space to connect with fellow members, get information, and interact with events.
Here’s what you can expect in this article:
- Information about the FOLX Community Platform and why it’s important
- What you can expect as a member in the community platform
- How to get access to the community platform
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FOLX Community Platform?
The FOLX Community Platform is a space where FOLX members can connect, share experiences, find resources, and have fun. Access to the platform is included in membership and it can be accessed online (on a computer, a tablet, or your phone) or on an app on your phone.
Why a Community Platform?
At FOLX, we want to provide you with holistic health support. We know that health is about more than doctor’s visits and prescription refills, it’s about how you feel in your body day-to-day and the things you’re doing to take care of your physical and mental health. It’s your transition journey, your relationships, how you feel at work, and so much more. The platform allows us to not only bring members together, but is also a space to offer you wellness events, creative experiences, connection with your care team, and so much more. We want to make sure you have the support you need, not just clinically, but for your whole self, and we want to be sure you have a place to go if you need advice or are looking for resources.
Research shows that feeling safe and understood in at least one online space is associated with better mental health and lower rates of recent anxiety for LGBTQ+ people. And the tools and resources we bring you inside the space are ones that have been shown to be helpful or things we’ve found personally helpful to our health, as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
What can I expect in the Community Platform?
Spaces
The Community Platform consists of various spaces you can join. Each space has a chat and a threaded feed. Some spaces are focused on identity (like the Trans+ space, Trans Femme, Trans Masc, Lesbian, Gay, etc), others on a specific topic (like being LGBQTIA+ in the workplace), and some on a particular health need or stage of life (like our Fertility and Family Building, or Mental Health spaces). We’re adding new spaces all the time and always love to hear from members about what you want to see!
Within these spaces, there are various tabs. Here’s how to navigate the spaces:
- Join threaded discussions and answer polls in the “Feed” tab.
- Chat with other members in the “Chat” tab.
Monthly Discounts
Each month, we feature discounts to LGBTQIA+ owned brands or to products or services our members love. Past brands include Urbody, Stealth Bros, Gay Pride Apparel, Both& Apparel, Mars Wright, Nose Best Candles, Couplet Coffee, Equal Love, Origami Customs, Legacy (sperm freezing), Undead Voice (trans vocal training), and much more.
Resources
Access resources within the platform along with resources within each space, specific to that space. Find information about injections, labs, and more about your membership, plus different resources for folks on testosterone or estrogen, mental health resources, resources for coming out or being out at work, and so much more.
Chat with Other Members
Engage with other FOLX members in the chats in various spaces. Want to meet folks going through a similar journey? Have questions or need advice from other folks? Join in the conversation and feel a sense of community.
Injection Trainings
We’ve got injection training recordings, shot parties for a sense of community when you do your shot, and live events with our RNs to talk you through doing your shot and answer any questions you might have. Whether you need help doing your first shot or have anxiety about doing your 100th shot, we can help put you at ease.
New Member Q&As
These are regular Q&As for new members where you can interact with a member of the FOLX team and get your questions answered. Ask anything about FOLX, about what services or medications we offer, how refills work, etc! These Q&As take place in the Member space and are typically facilitated through chat (no video or audio needed).
Support Groups
Peer support groups take place in various spaces on a regular basis. These events take place on Zoom (video and audio). We offer supports groups for the whole community, a sobriety support group, as well as spaces just for trans masculine+ and trans feminine+ people, with more to come!
Live Chat Events
We hold various events via the live chat within the spaces based around different topics. This is a chance for folks to interact with a healthcare professional or an expert on a specific topic. It’s all text-based, so no video or audio is required. Some examples of these events include:
- Coming Out at Work Live Chat
- Live Chats with a FOLX Therapist
- New member Q&As
Creative Events
Creative events include a wide variety of interactive activities where the host will be on video and folks can interact in the chat (like a live stream). Some examples of these events include:
- Activity workshops such as filling out your health goals worksheet
- Live meditations
- Coloring workshops
- Writing workshops
How do I get access to the community platform?
If it’s your first time signing into the Community Platform, you will need to start by going to your FOLX account in order to link it to the Community Platform account. You must be an active FOLX member in order to get into the platform. Follow the steps below:
- Sign in to your FOLX account.
- Click the tile that says “Community Space” or “Community” in the top navigation.
- You’ll be redirected to our platform, where you’ll log in with your FOLX account credentials.
- Optional: If you want to interact on your phone, download the app by searching "FOLX Health" in the app store.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to participate if I join the Community?
Absolutely not! You are welcome to join and just check stuff out. You can listen in on events, watch conversations unfold, or browse the resources on your own time. Some people watch for a long time before they ultimately chime in (people are friendly!), others prefer to participate more behind-the-scenes the whole time.
What if I can’t join the events on video or don’t have a private space?
We offer many events where you can watch (no video required for you) or listen without having to participate out loud. If you download the app, it’s really easy to stream an event audio only, right from your pocket into your headphones.
We also offer text-only live chat events where no audio or video is on for everyone. It’s a great way to participate wherever you are, without the pressure of audio or video.
What’s this about an app?
Yes, the community platform has an app! Visit the app store on your phone and search FOLX Health or click here for Apple devices and here for Android.
I’m having trouble logging in, or having another issue, can you help?
Just like for the rest of your FOLX membership and services, the best place to get help is support.folxhealth.com. Our Member Navigators can answer your questions and help you troubleshoot anything you might need.
What kinds of people are in the FOLX Community Platform?
All kinds of people use the FOLX Community Platform and in diverse ways! We have adults of all ages (seriously, 18 to 70s!) who are new to starting their transition and looking for community. We have LGBTQIA+ people of all stripes, interests and jobs, from long distance truckers to audio technicians, veterans to corporate professionals, and so much more.
What about safety and privacy?
The FOLX Community platform is a place just for FOLX members (and FOLX team members), and we do our best to keep it cozy and as safe as we can. Moderators are available to make sure conversations and content fall within our community guidelines, and our community members do a great job of looking out for each other, too.
We won’t ever sell your information to a third party, and we keep the highest standards for protecting your personal information. You can read more about our FOLX privacy policies here. We do love to share member voices on social media from time to time (y’all have such important experiences and wisdom!), and we’ll do so anonymously. We never use your name without your consent (and you can always say no to being a part of shares.) An example of this kind of share is here.
The FOLX Community platform is also an online space, which means normal best practices for the internet remain a good idea, since we can’t ever 100% control what someone might do with the information we write online. We encourage members to use an alias (a fake name) if that feels good (you can change your Community name at any time, easily!) and to be thoughtful about the information you provide.
For more information about keeping yourself safe online, check out these resources.
The Trevor’s Project’s Online Safety for LGBTQ Young People (good for all ages!)
Glaad’s We Keep Us Safe: LGBTQ Digital Safety Guide
PEN America’s Online Harassment Field Manual (created for writers and activists, particularly those who are LGBTQIA+ and/or BIPOC and at risk online)
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FOLX Health is the first digital healthcare company designed by and for the LGBTQIA+ community. Our services include virtual primary care, gender-affirming hormone therapy including estrogen and testosterone (HRT), mental health care, sexual and reproductive health care, preventive care, and fertility consultations. FOLX memberships give you access to LGBTQIA+ expert clinicians, peer support, thousands of LGBTQIA+ resources, and more. Whether you’re lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender non-conforming, or nonbinary, you can find LGBTQIA+-specialized health care that helps you meet your wellness goals. FOLX Health is health care that's queer all year. Get all the benefits of becoming a FOLX member and sign up today!
