The Guide To Being Transgender

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Ah, HRT. One of the most anticipated things about transitioning for most people. I have other chapters dedicated to the effects. This chapter is more so about how you get on it, schedules, and self-injections. That kind of thing, you know?

First things first: how do you get on HRT? I know in a lot of countries and states, there are different procedures. I'll be going over the procedure for the United States. Now, in most states, you no longer need a therapist letter to approve you for HRT, but a lot of doctors may request it. If you don't want to get one, print out your state's WPATH standards and consult your doctor about it.

You can go to an actual gender clinic if you feel more comfortable there, but most regular doctors can also do HRT injections and stuff. Besides that, you basically just ask your doctor to put you on HRT, get the prescription, and then WAPOW! You're on HRT.

Now I'll talk about different forms and schedules of HRT. There are gels, injections, and pills. Gels and pills are a daily schedule. Some gels require you put it on two times a day, while others could require four times a day. It becomes hard to maintain and keep up with, but it is a good alternative to injections if your body rejects injections or if you're afraid of needles.

Pills are a lot weaker than other forms, and you may not be able to get the hormone balance you need very quickly. For that reason, most people will not do pills.

Injections are the cheapest, and most common, form. You typically have the doctor do the injections for the first couple times, and then the doctor will teach you to do it yourself. At that point, you would only have check-ups to check your levels and make sure you're doing okay, but the injections you will administer at home. I'm not sure about gels and pills, but I know self-administered injections cost 40-60$ a month. It's not that expensive, honestly.

Most injections are on a two week schedule. You get a shot one week, wait two weeks, and get another shot. So, like, every other Wednesday for example. However, there are different brands and types that have different schedules and dosages. Your doctor will decide what is best for you, with your input of course. Depending on your insurance, you might even get coverage for the monthly costs and doctor's visits. You never know until you ask, so I would definitely recommend consulting your insurance company.

That's all for now. I hope this was helpfully informative!