Do you need a recomondation to start hrt?

[jessiegirl]

Myu question is do you truly need a letter of recomondation from a therapist to start hrt or can you find a doctor to start you on it?

[Charley Bea(EmeraldP)]

I am seeing an endo soon myself, from my understanding here in australia at least you need a recommendation from a GP and at least one from a psychologist, I have two from two psychologists just to be safe, but like I said that is my understanding of things here I maybe wrong and can be corrected as it may also be different depending on your location.

[jessiegirl]

Well I've heard many different things about it and I'm trying to see what's true and what isn't. I'm in the states myself, just moved back to texas ugh I hatee it here wish I had stayed in washington state lol

[Charley Bea(EmeraldP)]

Well best of luck, heck we all learn as we go I am finding. even the two psychs i got the letters from are learning with me lol

[aprilrain]

you don't have to have a letter, it is possible to find doctors who will prescribe without it but they are few and far between. If you are serious about transition, ie you are already full time and you know what your talking about when it comes to HRT a doctor is probably going to be more likely to prescribe without a letter but most of them want the letter to cover their own ass!   

[JennX]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on the doc. Most docs want a letter from a therapist recommending someone to start HRT (either MTF or FTM). Other places, like some clinics, allow informed consent, where you basically sign a waiver acknowledging the effects and risks of HRT. So you don't always need a letter.

[Stephe]

You were right, you shouldn't have moved to texas lol

Most doc still want a hormone letter. Most docs who do can steer you to someone who can give you one without a ton of drama. I think it's dumb, some people believe it should remain a requirement. Irregardless, you may find a doc who just does "informed consent".

[jessiegirl]

I know I shouldn't have moved back but it was either be homeless or go back to my parents house ugh I think I would have prefered being homeless. Ty all for the info and the replies. I guess I'm trying to find a route that dosent involve spending hundreds with a genser therapist just to get on hrt.

[Cindy]

It seems to vary from street to street( just about) never mind state to state and country to country.

In Australia it certainly varies from state to state and from gender to gender. In SA it seems easier for FtM to get T from GPs that MtF who need to jump through hoops and beg psychologists.

I'm really not sure why there are such differences as many of the medical community say they are following the same 'protocols'

[Shantel]

It is always best to have seen a counselor first rather than go it on your own volition. I'm saying this in retrospect because I went to a doctor that I knew was a real liberal and told him that I wanted to start on HRT and paid him cash up front for the office visit because I never intended to see him again. He wrote me a script and I was off and running. This could have been a reckless act on my part because I had no idea if my liver and kidneys were functioning properly or would even tolerate female HRT. A counselor would have first determined if in fact I even had gender dysphoria and then recommend that I at least have a blood screen by a licensed MD to be sure I wasn't about to kill my liver. The second reason is that once a genetic male gets started on female hormones it is difficult to turn back, eventually it becomes something akin to a snowball rolling down a steep hill, it gets bigger and gathers momentum until there's no stopping it. There are physical and mental changes, the brain even feminizes as male thinking gives way to more of a female mentality. Sixteen years later no-one knows for certain if I ever really was gender dysphoric or if this is just another aspect of my PTSD issues. Either way it's too late although I'll never fully transition though I have done everything but changed my mind at the last minute about SRS. I am comfortable and at peace with what I have become and who I am and have no regrets.

I wanted to share this with those who are thinking of taking a short cut, it's not the wisest plan of action, get proper counseling first and stifle willful thoughts, it's in your best interest!

[Noah]

Shantel has given great advice! I can't explain how right HRT is for me, and by all means I did not take Any counseling on this matter. I am in NYC so Callen lorde, which is an informed consent clinic, provided me with hormones immediately and cheaply. What can I say? I knew what I wanted and I followed my heart. Doing this without a therapist may be more risky, but then again how many of us change our minds after therapy vs how many of us spend a fortune to have what we know we need be delayed. Most of the girls I know say that therapy helped then sort this all out, nothing beats that. Find the closest informed consent clinic if you want to access hormones ASAP. This is your life and your choice. I am so happy I did this the way I did and three months on HRT I have never been at a deeper peace. Good luck!

[Penny Gurl]

Now up here in Chicago we are more on the "Informed Consent" model for HRT care.  I personally get my labs and scripts though Howard Brown Health Center, however before they prescribed HRT I did have to go to a preliminary medical screening and blood draw and then met with an advocate to discuss the risks and side effects of HRT along with what my transition plan was.  Now from first appointment to getting my scripts it still took a few months and I had seen a therapist on my own prior just for my own sound mind.  Now I'm not 100% sure but in Dallas TX I thought that there was a place that was similar.  You can look into http://www.resourcecenterdallas.org/ if you're close to Dallas, when I was debating moving to Texas with a friend I checked into their programs.  Best wishes!

[marcy319]

While counseling is beneficial if you are unsure...

+1 for informed consent  .. and .. +1 for Howard Brown

You don't need someone's stamp of approval. Get thee to an informed consent clinic if you know want HRT.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/932389/Trans/Stepping%20Forward%20-%20Informed%20Consent%20Clinics.pdf

[Shantel]

So the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care for transgender's is now considered no longer relevant? Hmmmm I must have come from the Jurassic age! 

[marcy319]

So the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care for transgender's is now considered no longer relevant? Hmmmm I must have come from the Jurassic age! 

Things have evolved. HBIGDA has become WPATH.

I applaud the current trend to de-pathologize gender variance as well as decrease barriers to services.

http://t-vox.org/index.php?title=Standards_of_care_for_gender_identity_disorders

[Shantel]

Things have evolved. HBIGDA has become WPATH.

I applaud the current trend to de-pathologize gender variance as well as decrease barriers to services.

http://t-vox.org/index.php?title=Standards_of_care_for_gender_identity_disorders

I am indeed a dinosaur!

[EmmaS]

I think it depends on where you live, but for me, I live in Arizona, which isn't even a liberal state but the regulations to start hormones aren't very strict actually. My therapist told me, that I could talk to the doctor on campus (University) and she would just prescribe me hormones without a letter of recommendation. I, of course wanted to be safe and asked her to write a letter just in case, which she had no issue. It also did not take 3 months of therapy for this to happen, apparently she told me that it is not a requirement exactly anymore. I guess things have been changing recently....very recently

[jessiegirl]

Omg soo much good info ty everyone. As for hrt I'm 100%  sure and I'm pretty sure I'm 100% on getting srs but haven't gone full time yet hell id be lucky to dress as often as I used to now that I've moved back to houston but we do have a trans clinic here so ill check them out as soon as I can secure a ride out there.