What exactly is meant by informed consent?
I thinking about going to a new doctor, who is said to prescribe t with informed consent.
My previous therapist refused to have anything to do with my transition, And it only took a few years to realize that when I had the guts to say that I wanted to start t. So I'm hoping to be prescribed t without having to spend months with a new therapist before hand.

You'll sign something saying you understand what T will do and accept all risks and consequences. Then you're good to go. They will prob do blood work before giving you T.

Quote from: Sharky on January 25, 2012, 06:06:00 PM
You'll sign something saying you understand what T will do and accept all risks and consequences. Then you're good to go. They will prob do blood work before giving you T.

Whoa, awesome.  So I could possibly start soon.

My doctor did this for me.  15 days from the first appointment with him, I got my first shot.

Quote from: Kreuzfidel on January 26, 2012, 12:09:29 AM
My doctor did this for me.  15 days from the first appointment with him, I got my first shot.

Congrats on your 2nd day on testosterone, man.

Quote from: brayden2100 on January 25, 2012, 06:49:34 PM
Whoa, awesome.  So I could possibly start soon.

Yep. All I had to do was take a blood test and wait about a week for the results.

You'll have to sign a consent form that looks something like this: http://www.fenwayhealth.org/site/DocServer/Informed_Consent_-_Testosterone_Therapy.pdf?docID=2202

Quote from: JasonRX on January 26, 2012, 12:19:58 AM
Congrats on your 2nd day on testosterone, man.

Hey thanks, mate  

Informed consent is a very common medical indemnity. Basically it means that the risks of the procedure, be it drugs or surgery, have been explained to you, you understand them and you agree to those risks. Legally it means that you cannot sue for outcomes that have been explained to you. In your case it may be that you will be rendered infertile and that you cannot bear children, so you cannot sue the Doctor in future for that event. This is probably of no consequence in your case. In other cases it can be, for example: if I operate to remove the tumour on your spine you may suffer permanent paralysis do you accept that risk? If so sign here. So you accept the possibility that you may be paralysed and you have no legal come back for that.

Basically all of the above, and depending on your doctor's preferences, you might need a physical. Not an exam down there(though some doctors like to push it, sadly), but moreso to check for any existing conditions that might make taking T difficult or even more dangerous. But it's not always that way, I just throw it in there because the clinic I'm seeing requires bloodwork and a general physical to make sure everything is in order before you start T.

Quote from: Kreuzfidel on January 26, 2012, 12:09:29 AM
My doctor did this for me.  15 days from the first appointment with him, I got my first shot.

Congrats! That's nice to hear. Hopefully I will have such luck with my new doctor.

Informed consent depends on state laws, not all states have it.