In Australia the GP generally should refer you onto someone such as a Psychiatrist who is qualified in diagnosing Gender Dysphoria. Unfortunately I've heard a qualified Psychiatrist is far and few between, so there is often a waiting list.

My journey has been an interesting one, my Psychiatrist has been able to diagnose Gender Dysphoria, yet still has taken three months to endorse the use of hormones. He has diagnosed Atypical Gender Dysphoria. In the meantime my GP who is experienced in HRT I think got fed up of waiting for him so just prescribed anyway. She could see I was clearly well informed and could see I was Gender Dysphoric. I suppose she new that one way or another I was going to do it, so best it was through a supported means. I get my letter from the Psychoatrist next month lol.

But I would imagine a lot of GPS would be uninformed or simply reluctant to make a decision out of fear of making the wrong one. I would suggest a new GP and also ensure you are fully informed and display that when speaking to medical professionals.

Quote from: BreezyB on October 18, 2014, 12:30:55 AM
In Australia the GP generally should refer you onto someone such as a Psychiatrist who is qualified in diagnosing Gender Dysphoria. Unfortunately I've heard a qualified Psychiatrist is far and few between, so there is often a waiting list.

We actually have a decent population of psychiatrists here in Aus.. The issue is how many of them have any clue about trans people.. 

QuoteMy journey has been an interesting one, my Psychiatrist has been able to diagnose Gender Dysphoria, yet still has taken three months to endorse the use of hormones. He has diagnosed Atypical Gender Dysphoria. In the meantime my GP who is experienced in HRT I think got fed up of waiting for him so just prescribed anyway. She could see I was clearly well informed and could see I was Gender Dysphoric. I suppose she new that one way or another I was going to do it, so best it was through a supported means. I get my letter from the Psychoatrist next month lol.

I'm somewhat bemused by the recent appearance of the 'Atypical Gender Dysphoria' diagnosis.. The only typical diagnosis would come from someone who trotted out the standard narrative and had a therapist too dim to realise it.. But then, some of us don't have any kind of GD diagnosis..

QuoteBut I would imagine a lot of GPS would be uninformed or simply reluctant to make a decision out of fear of making the wrong one. I would suggest a new GP and also ensure you are fully informed and display that when speaking to medical professionals.

Two things here.. In Australia, GP's have, historically, no training in gender issues - and no doctor likes to try and treat something they know nothing about. The other thing is, Androcur requires a PBS authorisation in order to be covered by the PBS. I'd be surprised if too many GP's know the blanket auth number..  The difference in price between the private prescription and PBS pricing is over $100 a box..

I totally agree Kelly, lots of Psychiatrists, only a few with knowledge or experience with transgender. At least in Western Australia. I know, atypical diagnosis is amusing me too... But oh well, if that's what he needs to sleep at night then doesn't bother me, as long as I get that letter lol

Quote from: HughE on October 17, 2014, 04:18:16 PM
Wow. Sorry about the thread hijack, but I don't think what's in that PDF should pass without comment:

"Second, transsexual people must prove that they have become irreversibly infertile: trans women must never again be able to beget children and trans men must never again be able to bear children. This is a separate requirement from the first requirement. Moreover, unlike the first requirement this second requirement is absolute: while the first requirement of bodily alteration may be lifted in whole or in part when there are medical or psychological contra-indications for surgery, no such circumstances can be relied upon in relation to the second requirement of irreversible infertility. This second requirement is often referred to as the "sterilization requirement," but this label does not in fact quite capture the drastic nature of the requirement: ordinary sterilization techniques used for family planning purposes do not suffice, since in principle these are reversible. Hormone treatment alone is also insufficient: while it often leads to infertility, it does not necessarily result in permanent and irreversible infertility. In practice what is required is the removal of the ovaries (trans men) or testes (trans women), unless there are, for example, pre-existing medical conditions that have resulted in permanent infertility."

So much for European enlightenment. If I'm reading this right, the Netherlands has an official policy of nazi-style sterilisation of trans folk. I think that's absolutely outragous, and I'm just wondering if there's anything those of us on this forum can do to change that.

Liek said before it's just changed but in Belgium (where I live) policy is still in place. Although we do expect it to change as soon as the government wants to start spending time on usefull stuff again.