THE PRELUDE:

Hello,

I'm 15 and I live in Japan. As it is, I'd have to wait until April next year to start T.
So I've been searching for a faster way.
Which country has the best trans rights? I've heard from a doctor here in Japan that it's possible to start T at 14 in Europe, and 15 in the USA. In Japan it's 16 (my birthday is in April).

So I've been searching informed consent. Luckily, my parents support me 100%. I've compiled a list of tentative clinics that I may call? I don't have a lot of information on these clinics yet, just that within them lies the possibility of starting T without all this therapy stuff.

THE LIST:

https://www.whitman-walker.org/service/medical/transgender-care/
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?topic=105294.20

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This particular paragraph in the above thread caught my eye:

Minnesota
DR. ERIC MEININGER, MD, MPH, SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA
435 Phalen Boulevard, Saint Paul, Minnesota - (651) 265-7308
Flying_Cat@->-bleeped-<-:

He is willing to prescribe to minors with parental consent

Clinic atmosphere is a bit of a downer

Make sure to double check his doses against the Waddell centre health protocols since occasionally he
does get clumsy when converting between pills and inject able doses.

Notably the "willing to prescribe to minors with parental consent" part.
Although the other comments make it look a little sketchy...?

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http://lyon-martin.org
http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-anthony-zavadil-2vpdx
http://transwellness.org/resources/health-resources/local-doctors-and-healthcare-professionals/ohio/
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101022230618AAnA1gw


THE ACTUAL QUESTION:

Does anyone have any experience with these clinics or know people who do? Or can you recommend other Informed Consent clinics that will prescribe to minors with parental consent?

AN EXTRA QUESTION:

I want some kind of growth spurt on T, since I'm only 15...will it make that much of a difference if I start when I'm 16 (April)?
16 is sort of the last resort/safety option. I really don't want to have to wait that long but, if I really have no choice...

Take the word of somebody who has been there, the therapy is the most important part of the transition. You will have adjustment problems unless you live in isolation and never deal with the public. In addition, you already have several years of uncomfortable memories that should be dealt with.

I would be in favor of getting you on blockers as soon as possible. They will help calm your mind and stop the damage that E is doing to your body. T won't help the discomfort you are currently feeling so it can wait for latter. It a big mistake we all make in thinking that T or E will solve all our problems and make the hurt go away but it's not true. T and E are an important part of any transition but they alter the body and not the mind where the hurt is.

Dena,

Thank you, I appreciate your reply, but I'm afraid I wrote so much with the introduction and list of links that I forgot to clearly state my actual question.
I've updated the post accordingly.

You might just contact a few clinics and ask them your questions.

As dena stated otherwise blockers might be an option.

If on t, you might start out slow, like with half the dose for a few months.
The larynx might expand more naturally that way, giving a better result with voice.


hugs

It is extremely difficult to put a person your age on HRT, blockers are routinely give. In most countries you need the Family Court (or equivalent) to approve full HRT before you are 18. You need to prove Gillick competence and while that is not hard it can be very expensive. In Australia around $30,000 with full support from your prints and medical team.

One of my Mods, Ayden is a transman living in Japan, I'll ask him to contact you.

Hey Kal,

If I remember right, you live in Tokyo currently but are moving to the US soon, right?

As you know, the Japanese have very stringent medical laws. It seems like the six month therapy requirement is pretty set and they aren't willing to negotiate. In fact, I've lost my hormones for the next few months simply because I won't be in Japan long enough to complete their therapy requirements. The doctors (in Osaka at least) haven't been willing to budge even though I have gone through therapy in the states and I was on my meds for four years. As for the legal age in which they will give HRT here, I believe it is set by the national government and the Ministry of Health and Wellness, so the doctors hands are tied.

If I remember, you said once that you were going to Minnesota? (Sorry if I'm mistaken, my coffee hasn't worked yet this morning). Informed Consent laws are different from state to state, so I'm not 100% about any states other than Alaska, as that is where I am from. But, when I looked into it, here's what I found: Dr. Meininger (the doctor you referenced) is actually quite beloved and is on several lists of providers, all with good reviews. There's another doctor in Minneapolis, Dr. Thorpe, though her clinic is a very small practice and doesn't often have openings. Both do informed consent, but Dr. Meininger was the only one I found that specifically has minors listed as a group he works with. His clinic is a bit on the small side, but it seems like he never turns away new patients, it might just be a bit of a wait. Another option is always the local planned parenthood. Some of these do offer Trans services, but not all.

All this being said, for many medications 16 is the age that they can be prescribed, even in the US. As I said, it all depends on the state. If you would like, you can let me know where you are going (PM is fine) and I will look at the local laws and clinics. My doctor back home before she retired wasn't on any lists for trans care. I just called clinics in my town and spoke with them until I found a doctor who would treat me. Finding doctors online is a good start, but if you know where you will be living, you will be able to call the clinics and doctors in your town and most likely you will find someone who isn't listed but is capable and able to treat you. I certainly had no complaints about my doctor even though she wasn't the "trans doctor" in town.

Whitman Walker is on your list, and I go there.

I can't speak highly enough of them. They are excellent for informed consent. Being in my first year of HRT, I've been there quite a bit over the last few months at all times of day/days of the week. I have not once seen a minor there, even accompanying a parent.

I'm not saying they wouldn't treat a minor with parental consent, but I haven't seen any indication that they do. I would be surprised if they let you do anything without meeting with a mental health counselor there. Even if it's not required for adults, it's strongly recommended that you have a brief meeting with one of their staff members. For a minor, I imagine they may require it.

You might want to check with the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition, if you are, in fact, heading to the states...they have a list of providers. Also, if you actually speak to people there, they might be able to give you a better idea of someone who is a good fit for your situation.  Office hours there are pretty limited, but somebody will eventually get back to you.

Quote from: ftmax on September 09, 2015, 10:16:54 AM
Whitman Walker is on your list, and I go there.

I can't speak highly enough of them. They are excellent for informed consent. Being in my first year of HRT, I've been there quite a bit over the last few months at all times of day/days of the week. I have not once seen a minor there, even accompanying a parent.

I'm not saying they wouldn't treat a minor with parental consent, but I haven't seen any indication that they do. I would be surprised if they let you do anything without meeting with a mental health counselor there. Even if it's not required for adults, it's strongly recommended that you have a brief meeting with one of their staff members. For a minor, I imagine they may require it.

I just wanted to add that with some extra looking around I found Dr. Walker on a few lists and he seems pretty spot on. Do you have a link to his clinic or his contact info, ftmax? I wasn't sure that what I had found was current.

Quote from: Ayden on September 10, 2015, 06:17:01 AM
I just wanted to add that with some extra looking around I found Dr. Walker on a few lists and he seems pretty spot on. Do you have a link to his clinic or his contact info, ftmax? I wasn't sure that what I had found was current.

Hehe, Whitman Walker isn't actually a doctor. The clinic is named after Walt Whitman and Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. They're a very good community health clinic. They also work with a lot of HIV/AIDS patients, and the LGBTQ community at large. In addition to the medical and mental health side of things, they also have very helpful people who can help you with all your legal paperwork for name/gender marker changes.

This is the most relevant section of their website for us:
https://www.whitman-walker.org/service/medical/transgender-care/

The phone number on there is accurate. You can also send an email to transgenderhealth@whitman-walker.org to get in touch with their Transgender Healthcare Advocate. He was very helpful when I wrote to him before becoming a patient there, and may be able to answer OP's question in regards to minors and informed consent.