Blood Tests in the UK

[Cheska]

This just dawned on me and I already looked online a little but I can't seem to find a definitive answer so I figured I'd ask here. I had my first GIC appointment at the end of March and my second is coming up at the start of July. Basically I'm just wondering when I should have my blood tests done? Should they have been done already? Is it something that will be brought up in my next/future GIC appointment(s)? Is it something that I need to initiate with my GP?

All help appreciated.

[calicarly]

It depends on your individual circumstances, but as a general rule, they're not allowed to accept you into the pathway until two consultants/professionals have met with you and agreed that you can go ahead and be accepted into the pathway, acceptance into the pathway is in itself, diagnosis, and it's them basically saying you require treatment and you will be under their care. But it takes at least the 2 appointments, then you're likely to be accepted at the third one, which is when they will speak to you about HRT and will contact your GP, what you don't mention is how far along your transition you are or any of that. So again all this depending on your own situation. But that's the general guideline. I'm not sure why you want tests done? when they decide to start you on HRT, they will contact you and your GP with kind of a guide, and you will have a baseline test (before you start) and a test some weeks after you've been started on HRT to monitor and modify if needed to bring your hormones to female levels.

[Cheska]

Thank you. It's not that I want them done but for some reason I had the feeling that I should've had them done already and I'm pretty early on in my transition. I'm out to pretty much everyone I need to tell but I'm not full-time yet, that's next on my agenda in the coming weeks along with my name change. So far, I've just been working on my hair removal and building my closet.

[Jayne]

If your reason for going full time in the coming weeks is becasue it's what you want then I wish you all the best.
If your reason is to get your HRT started then you may like to know that RLE is no longer a requirement for starting HRT, the NHS has finaly realised that forcing people to go through RLE just to be prescribed hormones has put some transpeople in danger in the past so when the guidelines changed late 2013 they decided the patients safety trumps the need for HRT to help with passing.

[calicarly]

I would just like to add to Jaynes comment that although all she has said is right, you have to have been accepted into the pathway for the GIC to take over your HRT regimen regardless. Which like I said, will happen in a couple of appointments, so not long now.

But she is right you are now allowed to start HRT at the same time or even before going full time. Which I am sure is a total blessing for the newcomers , including you .