Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I'm from Ontario Canada. What is the process in getting a prescription HRT here? Do I just go to any doctor and ask for a prescription for estrogen and anti androgens? Or is it more difficult then that? I really want to start now when I'm young.

IIRC, HRT is free as part of Canada's health insurance plan.

Nope.  Medications are not covered.

There's 2 options, depending on where in Ontario you live.  The most common option is to find a gender therapist in your area, talk with them about your gender issues and if you together come to the conclusion that you should be on hormones, you will get a recommendation letter that you then take to an endocrinologist who will prescribe the hormones for you.  It might be a good idea to look up the endocrinologist first just in case it is like Alberta where there is really only one transgender endo and he requires that you talk to a specific psychiatrist, not just anyone.

Option 2, if there is an informed consent clinic near you, or within reasonable driving distance, and you are sure that you want to be on hormones and are willing to take responsibility for their effects yourself, you can go there and expedite the whole process and they will assess you and have their own endocrinologist to prescribe the hormones for you.

There are a few people on Susan's that are from Ontario, so they can probably help a little better as it can be different in each province.  Hopefully one will drop in here.

Quote from: <3 on November 10, 2013, 07:32:31 PM
There's 2 options, depending on where in Ontario you live.  The most common option is to find a gender therapist in your area, talk with them about your gender issues and if you together come to the conclusion that you should be on hormones, you will get a recommendation letter that you then take to an endocrinologist who will prescribe the hormones for you.  It might be a good idea to look up the endocrinologist first just in case it is like Alberta where there is really only one transgender endo and he requires that you talk to a specific psychiatrist, not just anyone.

Option 2, if there is an informed consent clinic near you, or within reasonable driving distance, and you are sure that you want to be on hormones and are willing to take responsibility for their effects yourself, you can go there and expedite the whole process and they will assess you and have their own endocrinologist to prescribe the hormones for you.

There are a few people on Susan's that are from Ontario, so they can probably help a little better as it can be different in each province.  Hopefully one will drop in here.

How can I find an informed consent clinic? I'm willing to travel.

DR. JAMES MARTIN, SOUTHERN ONTARIO FERTILITY TECHNOLOGIES
555 Southdale Rd, East, Suite 107 London, ON, N6E 1A2
Phone: (519) 685-5559 Fax: (519) 685-5519 E-mail: info@soft-infertility.com http://www.soft-infertility.com/
DR. LOUIE CHAN,
East Mississauga Community Health Centre, 2555 Dixie Rd. Mississauga, ON L4Y 4C4, (905) 602-4082

Quote from: Rena on November 10, 2013, 08:34:17 PM
How can I find an informed consent clinic? I'm willing to travel.

The best-known and most highly regarded informed consent clinic is Sherbourne in Toronto. Their waiting list is abysmal though (but they could potential offer other suggestions as well; they are the best organized and the best connected people for trans care in Ontario). You also have to be 18 to access any informed consent clinic, fyi.

Sherbourne Health Centre
333 Sherbourne Street
Toronto, Ontario M5A 2S5
E-mail: info@sherbourne.on.ca
416-324-4103
http://www.sherbourne.on.ca/index.html

Depending on where you live, a gender therapist might be a quicker option. Though it's invariably more expensive because you have to pay the therapist.

Alternatively, if you already have a good relationship with a family doctor, they can prescribe you HRT directly using Sherbourne's guidelines, if they are willing to take that on. HRT doesn't really require a specialist, and Sherbourne has been trying to devolve more of the responsibility for HRT monitoring to the wider medical community in Ontario. (The guidelines are freely available on Sherbourne's website.)

Sorry to bump an old thread, but does anyone know of an informed consent clinic new the Ottawa region of Ontario?

Thanks!