So first of all, let me clarify: I know that online ordering is per definition not safe 

My preferred method for DIY is to get androgel from guys who have some they don´t need. But I am curious about hormones that are bought online. I was watching a program the other day, about a guy who starts to use anabolic steroids (basically, T) because he wants to look better.

He ordered a bunch of stuff from the internet and had it tested. Turns out all the items contained other products that weren´t mentioned on the sites or on the package, other hormones. Also, the contents were watered down. These were all injectables.

I´m wondering if anyone here knows anything about the safety of androgel, when you buy it online. Maybe I should ask people in a bodybuilding forum as they probably have better information  it´s weird how they are possibly more informed than we are.

Online ordering is a bit different in the state. As long as the company is located in the states and requires a prescription, they fall under the Food and Drug Administration so anything ordered that ways is safe and meets the manufacturing requirements. Mail deliver is often used for people who require regular medication for medical treatment and is backed by the insurance companies. The insurance companies prefer it because the factory like deliver brings cost down over a mom and pop operation.

Outside the United States, you would need to know the reputation of the firm you are ordering from. There are several that turn up in moderation who are questionable. There are many more we don't know about. Your country should have rules about this and you should become familiar with them. If you are ordering from another country, it become a good deal more complicated and research will be very important to remain safe.

Dena, thank you for your reply

Here in the Netherlands, this is the way it works (as far as I know):

- It´s illegal to sell anabolic steroids (among which T) but not to possess
- pharmacies sell them but only through a GP
- GP´s are theoretically allowed to prescribe hormones to transgender patients but they won´t, because they are frequently afraid of being blamed, of having their reputation damaged, and/or being discredited by one of the bigger gender clinics here, which at the moment has a bit of a monopoly position on transition (and uses it).

I have done a bit of research and there are tons of sites selling within this country. Some seem shady and some don´t. I have seen some with very good user reviews, but obviously that is still not a guarantee.

You may have seen this before but before informed consent, the procedure was to get a letter from a therapist that stated you were capable of making your decision about medication and were a good candidate for treatment. This gave the doctor the security they needed to prescribe medication without worrying about the legal risk. I don't know if you have that model in place or if socialize medicine moved all treatment into the clinics. If the clinics are your only safe path to treatment, you have few options and most are bad.

The clinics here pretend to operate under the informed consent model, but the sad reality is that they don´t (waiting for longer than six months and another six months therapy doesn´t seem very informed consent like).

Edit: I´ve discussed the model you are describing with my therapist and my GP - the therapist is willing to make a letter, but the GP is only willing to accept a letter from someone affiliated with the gender clinic. We have a long way to go...

To anyone else in this area, there are also websites where you can order testosterone through a pharmacy, but they do need your bloodwork results (to make sure you are safe in taking it). They have an option to either let your GP know that you´ve purchased this, or not. They are semi-legal (the testosterone is safe, but they make up their own rules which let them operate in a shady region of the law).