I'm confused about the whole T process...

[Alex201]

Correct me if I'm wrong...but once you get your letter for HRT ...do you take it straight to an endo? Then what? Do they give you a prescription for it? Do you inject it at home or does a doctor do it?

[Lee]

I'm not on T yet, but from what I've gathered from other people's posts, the endo needs to request blood tests for liver function and some other things.  If everything is all good with that, they write you a prescription, which you go pick up.  They will show you how to do the shots, as it can get pretty pricey to go in to the dr's to get a shot every week.

[owl]

Heres what happened with me,
I didn't need blood tests done.
I didnt even need a letter from a therapist, the endo was so nice enough to let me get t without it. BUT i did go to a therapist just in case i needed a letter. It took me three months, and 12 sessions. I Got into my endo, he called in a script last friday, and i'm getting my T shot this thursday

[Nygeel]

This is my process...

I went to therapy for three months. I didn't feel it was getting anywhere so I stopped going. Waited awhile, thought about hormones and what I wanted to do with my life. Started researching clinics in my area that went based on informed consent because I was broke and uninsured. Eventually I settled on a clinic that had a trans department specifically for transitioning (hormonally, they help with name change, etc). First time there I had a bit of an evaluation to see where my head was at, HIV test, and met the people that work there. Second time I had a basic physical. Third appointment I went over results and showed that I understood the changes that could happen on T. At this appointment I was taught how to self inject (I live 2 hours from the clinic). They used saline to show me what to do and I injected my thigh with .5 mL of saline. I pretty much got my prescription that day (there were some complications in getting it). 2 months after being on T I went back for blood work to see where my hormones were.

So, once you get your letter for HRT you CAN go straight to an endo but don't have to. It's the doctor's call as to if you inject at home or in the office.

[Carson]

Everyone follows a slightly different process. I went to a therapist. I got the go ahead from my therapist to start looking at endos. I got an endo appointment. I went to the appointment. At appointment I was taught how to self inject. My therapist sent my T letter over to the endo. I got my bloodwork done. After my endo got the bloodwork results back she sent the prescription to the pharmacy and they shipped my T to me. I injected at home since the beginning.

[Catherine]

Correct me if I'm wrong...but once you get your letter for HRT ...do you take it straight to an endo? Then what? Do they give you a prescription for it? Do you inject it at home or does a doctor do it?

I think you will find that everyone has differing procedures depending on where you are.

Have you talked about Hormones with your therapist yet ??

[xAndrewx]

Like they said, everyone is different. And it doesn't necessarily have to be an endo. It can be a family or general practice doctor if the doctor is comfortable prescribing it. That is who prescribed me mine.

Here's my process:

Got my letter after some therapy sessions. Called a new doctor (had to find a new one anyways) and asked if they would prescribe it. Went in for a consult. Got T the next day. Could have gotten it same day but because I saw a physicians assistant since the doc wasn't in she had to get the okay from him the next day. She asked during the consult if I wanted to come in for the shot or had someone who knew what they were doing. My mom did plus I had seen countless videos and knew. So my mom did it at home for me. 

[Elijah3291]

Once I got my letter, I first tried to get my therapist to refer me to an endo, and my therapist gave them the letter, that first endo didnt work out.  so then I went to a small medical clinic, gave them my therapists referral and my letter, then THAT medical clinic found me an endo and gave him the letter.

Then I made an appointment with that endo, (had to wait a few months) and when I saw him he asked me a few questions, told me what the hormones would do to me, asked me if i was ready, and then his nurse gave me my first shot.  Then he gave me a prescription, and I went to a pharmacy and got a vial of testosterone that I inject myself every 2 weeks, and my next appointment with my endo is in march to check my blood levels.

(most doctors check your blood levels, and then give you T, my dr was just a little different)

word of warning (something I had to go through) getting your T letter, doesn't automatically mean T.  I had to wait forever to find an endocrinologist, and then wait longer to get an appointment with him.  I had a friend who had to wait 6 months for an appointment.

[Alex201]

I think you will find that everyone has differing procedures depending on where you are.

Have you talked about Hormones with your therapist yet ??

I'm still trapped at home with my unaccepting parents who won't let me see a therapist that is qualified in gender issues.

[Tad]

You don't need an endo either though. Don't know what happened to my post that I put in here last night.

Endo's can take up to 8 months to get into here, and they are more important over the long run. Any doctor can run the labs that an endo would want to run when you're starting out T. My doc was comfortable doing that. Sent me with a nice little chart that had 17 different things checked off on it to be tested.. once we go over my results on Friday, and assuming they are okay.. I'll get my T injected into me that he prescribed to me last week. My doc will follow protocol and have me go in for those same tests every month to monitor my levels, so I'll be in seeing him once every two weeks, for shots, and to discuss my blood tests/hormone levels.

So eventually I'll get in to the endo, but nobody locally has stressed that it's important to start out with one, most people here start out with a doctor, and just check in with the endo once they can get in.

[Mark]

I'm still trapped at home with my unaccepting parents who won't let me see a therapist that is qualified in gender issues.

You dont NEED a therapist that deals strictly with gender issues. My therapist is not a gender therapist and has never written a T letter before mine. Getting into see the Endo is probably the hardest part, something I had not anticipated originally,

[Harbor]

I went to an Ob/gyn who did not require a letter. Basically I just wrote down on the forms that I was trans and wanted a consult about hormones. The doctor and I talked for about 20 minutes and he wrote me a prescription on the spot. He had treated a lot of trans guys in the past, so that's probably why it was an easy process.  Maybe you could find someone who works that way in your area and skip the therapist part. if you're over 18 that is.

[NightWing]

I went to an Ob/gyn who did not require a letter. Basically I just wrote down on the forms that I was trans and wanted a consult about hormones. The doctor and I talked for about 20 minutes and he wrote me a prescription on the spot. He had treated a lot of trans guys in the past, so that's probably why it was an easy process.  Maybe you could find someone who works that way in your area and skip the therapist part. if you're over 18 that is.

Doesn't that largely depend on where you live?

[Bahzi]

It really does vary based on where you live.  Thanks to a forum member here, I became aware of a doctor (GP) at the local university who will prescribe T on informed consent.  She runs labs and all that, but there's no therapy or RLE required.  I'm getting therapy anyways, but it's most certainly a fast track, it should only take 2-3 months total, whereas the only trans-friendly endo in town has a 3 month waiting list once you've got a T letter.

[Michael Joseph]

Has anyone had informed consent? Cuz im still a tad bit confused on how that works.

[Nygeel]

Has anyone had informed consent? Cuz im still a tad bit confused on how that works.

I had informed consent. It's a psychological survey and informing you of all of the possible side effects of T.

[Michael Joseph]

I had informed consent. It's a psychological survey and informing you of all of the possible side effects of T.

If you dont mind me asking, did you go to your doctor or elsewhere? And how long did it take you to get on T?

[wheat thins are delicious]

It's gonna be different for everyone depending on doctors/thearapists/and the area you live in.  I got my letter at the first therapy appointment and my hormone prescription at my first endo appointment.  My friend however had to do a year of RLE because his therapist had never treated any trans people before, and then had to get his vitamin levels up per his endo's request. 

[Michael Joseph]

That makes sense, Ill have to make some calls as soon as I have any time to myself.

[Nygeel]

If you dont mind me asking, did you go to your doctor or elsewhere? And how long did it take you to get on T?

I didn't have a GP type doctor or a main doctor before going on T (didn't have money to afford appointments). I went to a clinic that has a "section" specifically for transgender care (they do everything). Between the appointments listed I would say it took a total of 2 months but there were complications on the part of the clinic and my behalf. They were in between providers (doctors) and were without one for the transgender patients for awhile. Plus, I was broke and couldn't afford the transportation to get over there sometimes.