HRT or Full-time first?

[Megan.]

In the UK, the NHS GIC usually start HRT when or after the patient goes full-time, but I'm aware in other countries, many start HRT first. I can see pros and cons to both approaches, but what are others thoughts?

[AnonyMs]

I think the usual advice is to do whatever makes you happy.

Personally I'm scared of going full time and if I ever do it it will be after HRT and all surgeries. I want to spend as little time in that middle zone as possible.

[Deborah]

What is your priority?  Is it to achieve mental balance or is it to present female in public.  For many people the two are not strictly correlated.


Sapere Aude

[Megan.]

I think for me it is both. I'm currently on a low dose trial, and that has had a positive mental impact, but I still have a real desire to also socially transition. I'm kinda easy on doing it either way. If I start HRT first, get to male fail, but then go full time and find it's not what I want, then I'm stuck in the middle. Full time first, and I've got a longer period of awkwardness to work through, which I'd rather not have, but will if I have to, and I can go back more easily early on.

[Cassuk]

In the UK, the NHS GIC usually start HRT when or after the patient goes full-time, but I'm aware in other countries, many start HRT first. I can see pros and cons to both approaches, but what are others thoughts?

Hmm, i can see why UK does require you to be full/time first. But i can also see the con´s particular for a MTF. Society can be a hard place when you stick out.  And the social stigma can feel double hard if you do not pass.

But again i can see the pro´s and in the end, being true to yourself is always a win.

[V]

I'm UK based too, and I wanted to be on hrt before I transitioned. I wanted to see how it felt, in case it wasn't right for me.
The only way I could do this (back in the late 1990's) was to self-medicate. I know that this was wrong, and very risky, and I was stupid to do it, but I did do it that way, and it worked out for me.
Later, when I started therapy and my rlt, I started on "proper" prescribed hrt, and dropped the stuff I was self-medicating. The potency and effects of the prescribed and monitored hrt were much stronger. But initially all I wanted to find out was how I felt taking them. Hence my "experiment".
I don't advise you do what I did though.

[Megan.]

Using the GenderGP service here in the UK has allowed me to do a properly monitored low dose trial. This would be my route for doing HRT ahead of the NHS RLE if I go that route.

[V]

GenderGP service? What's that then?

[Maybebaby56]

In the UK, the NHS GIC usually start HRT when or after the patient goes full-time, but I'm aware in other countries, many start HRT first. I can see pros and cons to both approaches, but what are others thoughts?

Hi Megan,

Personally I think this is a horribly insensitive policy to force people to try to pass socially before HRT.  Some can do it, sure, but for most, social transition is a very daunting proposition and it helps to have every advantage you can get.  I know I will upset some people by saying this, but passing makes things so much easier, and if you are trying to pass it helps if you are more at ease in your own skin.  HRT can do that for you.

Personally I'm scared of going full time and if I ever do it it will be after HRT and all surgeries. I want to spend as little time in that middle zone as possible.

This is exactly the way I felt.  I didn't even want to try to socially transition until FFS was done, but I ended up going out in public a few months ago.  Now I present as female part-time, and I have blended in pretty well.  If I have been clocked, no one has ever said anything to me or given me strange looks.  I think the reason I do pass is that I started facial hair removal early on and have very little facial hair left after nearly two years.  I also learned how to do makeup and hair. The several months of HRT kind of put the finishing touches on things.  Things have worked out well enough that I plan to have FFS by the end of the year and go full-time by the beginning of next year.

With kindness,

Terri

[Megan.]

GenderGP.co.uk an NHS GP offering a private 'informed consent' model, US style. Medical and psych evaluations, then private prescription vended by and online uk pharmacy. All legal and properly monitored. I had my first month of E patches within 4 weeks of contacting them. I too needed to see what it would do for me before I committed totally to a possible transition.

[Megan.]

Terri, It's a tough one. I know many either lack confidence, are not in a safe area or risk putting their careers at risk. I already go out and about regularly, grocery shopping, jogging and regular support group meetings. In the UK I have job safety from both the law and a very LGBT friendly employer (I've already given HR an early heads up). The NHS may be slow and rigid, but we do have excellent legal protection in the UK. Yes I'd like to pass from day one, but I won't, and I accept that, I may never pass 100%, though 90-95% would be nice

[Lady_Oracle]

My transition has been in the south and I willingly chose to go part time/full time prehrt because I needed to know that I could be myself without hormones. It was dangerous, ran into a few incidents but thankfully it all worked out. By the time I started hrt the harder parts of the social transition were out of the way. By then I also had my voice and thus made transition in general a lot smoother. 

To be fair this is a really difficult way to handle the social side, not for the faint of heart thats for sure but in the end it worked out really well for me. Its ridiculous and terrible that so many are forced to take this path due to outdated protocols, that really needs to change.

[V]

GenderGP.co.uk an NHS GP offering a private 'informed consent' model, US style. Medical and psych evaluations, then private prescription vended by and online uk pharmacy. All legal and properly monitored. I had my first month of E patches within 4 weeks of contacting them. I too needed to see what it would do for me before I committed totally to a possible transition.

I had not heard of that. Is it expensive? Are the prescription costs expensive or the same as NHS prescriptions?
Sorry to ask questions, but I have a very understanding GP at present who prescribes my hrt on the NHS, but I'm afraid that when I move to a different area, I will have to get a new GP in that area, and I might not find such an understanding one, and one who may not prescribe me my hrt. It's a real worry for me.
So this 'GenderGP' might be one solution to that problem?

[Debra]

Yeah whatever you wanna do. I personally couldn't wait so I went semi-full time (outside of work) 2 months before HRT. then 2 months into HRT I transitioned at work too.

[Megan.]

V, the price is currently £30/month for the GenderGP service, they then generate private prescriptions for clearchemist.co.uk; you can see their prices online (I'm using Evorel patches). NHS will be cheaper, maybe ask your current GP to write a letter for any new one? I'm using GenderGP for a short trial because the GIC are silly wotsits!

[V]

V, the price is currently £30/month for the GenderGP service, they then generate private prescriptions for clearchemist.co.uk; you can see their prices online (I'm using Evorel patches). NHS will be cheaper, maybe ask your current GP to write a letter for any new one? I'm using GenderGP for a short trial because the GIC are silly wotsits!

Hi Megan, thank you very much for your reply. I will take your advice.
Thanks,
V.