Timeline

[GinnyC]

How long did it take from the date that you decided you wanted to start hrt till you took your first dose, and also how would you shorten that time as much as possible?

--Ginny

[sam1234]

For me it was only a couple of months. I think the standard is longer, but my therapist had never dealt with a transgender before. He sent me out of state to a psychologist for a 7hr interview, and when I got back, he gave the ok to start.

Its hard to wait, but there are reasons. Not all of the changes caused by hormones can be reversed, and therapists want to make sure you know what you are getting into as well as evaluate whether or not you are truly a transgender. Its well worth the wait. If you feel the process is going to slow, talk to your therapist and find out where you stand.

sam1234

[michelle82]

the standards of care recommend 3 months of therapy before you can begin. But with informed consent you can make an appointment with trans health clinic and probably get started as soon as you are able to get an appointment, a physical and blood work reviewed.

[Ms Grace]

Are you talking the issues through with a therapist/counsellor? I know it can seem frustrating to wait a second longer than you feel you need to once you've made up your mind but it's usually safer to at least explore where transition and HRT might take you in your life and with your relationships. If you have that all sorted then hopefully you will get referred to an endocrinologist who will assist you with HRT. Depending on where you live and the availability of a sympathetic endo (some of them have very long waiting lists) it may only take a couple of months. Unfortunately the system is lined with hoops you need to jump through.

[missymay]

How long did it take from the date that you decided you wanted to start hrt till you took your first dose, and also how would you shorten that time as much as possible?

--Ginny

I started seeing a therapist for HRT approval, and per the standards of care back then, my therapist couldn't write the approval letter until I completed 3 months of therapy (I went twice a month).

[SwedenMtf]

Just FYI - in Sweden it takes at least 1 year from when you decided you want HTR until you get it.
Swedish timeline

1.) Schedule a time with a Shrink (2-3 weeks)
2.) See a doctor specialized in psychology (2-3 weeks)
2.) Start at the trans clinic ( 2-3 months )
4.) Go to the trans clinic for 9-12 months.
5.) Start all different treatment.

However, everything above including surgery and HTR is for free.
Im on HTR now... event I'm just on step two. Easy to get Hormons imported from countries in Europe - since Estrogen and T-blockers isn't illegal to bring in . Just hard to keep it controlled whiteout being on step 5 or at least step 4.

Just to give you a perspective

[Rachel]

From intake, therapy to the 1st dose 6 months. I was rejected for hormones because I was suicidal and fragile. If I was not suicidal it would have been 1 month from blood test to script. The 6 month wait was important for me (looking back) because I do not think I could have handled the added stress of hormones in the beginning.

[GinnyC]

Thanks for all the responses. I live in LA so finding a sympathetic endo will probably not be that hard. My biggest problem will be paying for it all. I know going to a therapist is the best route but I can't afford it so I have to go with informed consent. As for "issues" i was referring to medical problems and issues with getting an appointment, stuff of that variety, not personal issues, as those are very different from person to person and could take very different lengths of time to work out.

--Ginny

[akegia]

I decided to go on HRT/Transisition years ago, while I was still in Middle School. But due to personal issues, self doubt, depression etc put it off. But once I 100% put my mind to it, I was through a informed consent OB/GYN and on HRT the next day. So in answer to your question about 2 days.

[jeni]

I decided I wanted to in the first week of December last year, and started spiro mid-January and estradiol a week later. The wait was only because that was the first available appointment with the endocrinologist. I probably could have found an earlier appointment somewhere, but I figured that even though I was sure this was right, having time to mull it over was probably a good idea. More in case I decided that the timeline was wrong overall and wanted to wait, not because I thought there was any chance I'd not do it at all.

In my case, I had been in therapy in general for a couple years, but only brought up that I was trans in December, because I hadn't realized it until then. Since I'd had the feelings for so long, I wasn't concerned about it being too fast because it was obvious that it was just a matter of having taken myself seriously and realizing that I was capable of going public. My therapist had no reservations about supporting me, though I think it was a complete surprise when I told him. As it turned out, my endo required neither a letter nor any signatures to get my prescriptions. The wait of a week for the estradiol was only because I was at risk for Factor V Leiden, a heredetary clotting disorder, so I had to be tested for that to determine whether I could use pills or needed patches to start with. (Thankfully, I don't have the disorder.)

[FTMax]

Oct. 29th, 2014 - Called office to confirm intake process.
Oct. 30th, 2014 - Dropped off new patient paperwork, made establishing care appointment.
Nov. 14th, 2014 - First appointment, went over informed consent paperwork, lab work.
Dec. 5th, 2014 - HRT appointment, went over lab results, got prescription.

So in total, 38 days between making the first inquiry and picking up my prescription. I was seeing a therapist at the time (ended up firing her), but it wasn't required and I don't feel it was necessary for me.

If you're in LA, I'm sure there are plenty of different avenues to pursue. I personally went to an LGBTQ clinic in Washington DC because it came highly recommended from other transguys that I knew. Never been to LA, but I'd be very surprised if they didn't have something similar.