Everyone who undergoes hormone therapy should prepare to experience emotional changes. Their feelings, interests, and sexuality may fluctuate. It can feel like a roller coaster ride. Feminizing hormone therapy usually begins with taking the drug spironolactone (Aldactone).).
It blocks male sex hormone receptors, also called androgen receptors. This slows or stops the changes in the body that usually occur due to testosterone. The following information is required reading before you can begin hormone therapy. Take notes and make a list of questions to take to your next appointment. You should also re-read this within 24 hours of your visit so that the information is fresh in your mind when we meet.
Reading and understanding this material is an important component of the informed consent process for receiving a hormone prescription. You should start by using your loved one's preferred pronouns and name. There may be a short adjustment period where you make a mistake, apologize and correct yourself. Now it's a crucial point in his life.
Your loved one may have the confidence to shine in an authentic way. You can honor this by supporting him, breaking with the stigma, and choosing to live a life of love and acceptance. You will decide with your doctor when your next visit to GAHT will be. Some patients starting with GAHT may want or need to see their doctor more often during their first year of hormone therapy. Talking to your doctor every three months when you start gender-affirming hormone therapy can help you manage and maximize medications for faster results, make important changes to your care plan, and avoid problems.
Once you have a stable dose and have achieved many of your goals, you may not need to see a doctor as often. After taking GAHT for a period of time, you'll often only need one annual follow-up visit to continue your care and get your prescription for hormone therapy. In B, C. The availability of these options may depend on where you live and your primary care provider (s).
The following options describe three routes to access care. With that said, your individual trajectory will depend on many factors that are unique to you. Many people choose to start the process by making an appointment with a primary care provider. If you're anxious to talk to your doctor, visit How to Talk to Your Provider About Gender-based Care for advice. Before prescribing hormones, a medical professional must evaluate your readiness for treatment (see below to learn how readiness is evaluated).
Many primary care providers can evaluate readiness for hormone therapy. However, not all primary care providers are comfortable evaluating hormone readiness or starting treatment. In this case, you may be referred to other providers. Your primary care provider may refer you to an endocrinologist (a hormone specialist).
Before starting treatment, an endocrinologist will require that another doctor (for example, a mental health specialist) perform an evaluation of hormonal readiness. Before beginning the evaluation process, it's important to ask the endocrinologist from which providers they accept hormone readiness evaluation letters. Both you and the evaluator can consult with the endocrinologist's office before beginning the readiness assessment. Depending on where you live, your age and other factors, you may be able to access a clinic or provider that provides specific care for trans people.
There is a lot of variability between these clinics and B and C providers. Some require references and others don't. Unfortunately, these options are not available in all regions of B and C. You can contact the Trans Care BC health navigation team for more information about clinics and healthcare providers specific to trans people. As we mentioned before, you don't need to hire a counselor if your primary care provider can evaluate your readiness.
However, in some cases, a primary care provider may recommend an evaluation by a mental health provider. If you decide to work with an endocrinologist, you'll need to hire a mental health professional who can evaluate your level of readiness (for example, a counselor, social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist). Most mental health providers receive private payment. There are some public (free) options for evaluating hormonal readiness in the community; these may require a referral.
If you have been told to undergo an evaluation by a mental health provider or if you need information about low-cost options, you can contact Trans Care BC. A hormone readiness assessment is an evaluation carried out by a qualified professional to determine if a patient is ready to begin hormone therapy. The WPATH care guidelines were created by the World Association of Transgender Health Professionals (WPATH) to help healthcare providers provide quality care to transgender and gender-diverse people. These standards describe best practices for diagnosis, treatment, and support to ensure respectful and affirming healthcare experiences.
It requires evaluation before starting hormone therapy. The length of the evaluation period depends on the healthcare provider, the clinic's protocols, and your needs. Evaluations may take longer if a person has physical, mental, or substance use problems. These concerns are not an obstacle to hormone therapy, but they should be considered when developing a treatment plan. The prescribing provider may recommend a physical exam to check your heart and lungs.
You will be asked to do some lab tests, such as a blood test. If you're a young person looking for a puberty blocker or hormone therapy, your healthcare provider will need to consider other factors depending on your age and stage of development. For more information on evaluating readiness for puberty blockers, visit Puberty Blockers. Young people often live with their parents or guardians, who may need additional information or support related to gender-affirming health care. You can follow up with your healthcare team to discuss sources of support for you, your family and other important people in your life.
First, it's important to note that you don't have to be trans to receive hormone therapy. Hormone therapy may be medically necessary. Treatments, procedures, or services that health professionals determine are essential to diagnose or treat a medical condition based on established medical guidelines and the individual needs of patients. For a variety of people of all genders.
In some cases, healthcare providers may prescribe hormones even when these criteria aren't met. For example, a healthcare provider may use a harm reduction approach and prescribe hormone therapy as an alternative to someone obtaining hormones outside the health care system. It's important to keep in mind that having mental health problems (such as depression or anxiety) or addiction doesn't necessarily mean you don't meet the criteria. Instead, these concerns should be managed reasonably before or during hormone therapy. There are health risks associated with buying or borrowing hormonal drugs instead of getting a prescription from a health care provider.
You cannot be sure of the quality and dosage of the product. Unlike drugs from a pharmacy, they can be diluted or mixed with unknown substances. In addition, the safe dosage required for optimal effects varies from person to person and cannot be determined without blood tests. If you are currently taking hormones without a prescription and would like to contact a healthcare provider to prescribe and have a blood test done, contact the Trans Care BC health navigation team. Contact our team of health experts for information on gender-affirming care in B.
and C. The questions on this form will include a complete medical history: any current or past medical diagnosis you have, medications you're taking, allergies, gender-affirming history of hormone replacement therapy, pharmacy information and insurance information (if applicable), and so on. For many trans and non-binary MTF and FTM individuals, taking the step to learn how to start HRT and begin the transition is a defining moment. The most significant changes to your body with hormone replacement therapy for transgender people will depend on the hormone therapy that affirms your gender. This is a quick guide to things that I wish I had known a year ago and that could have made this process more fluid from the point of view of HRT and the transition.
We'll review your medical history, discuss your options to get the most benefit from gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy, and address any health problems that arise from hormone therapy (or other medications).
