04-11-2021, 09:36 PM
Nothing is truly safe, its not like endocrinologist is casting magic safety spells on the HRT they prescribe, the safety is the checkups, labs, professional input on what to do and how much. Oh and doctors aren't always the end it all, know it all what comes to HRT...
I'm doing the dangerous illegal stuff DIY because in my country there's insane waiting times, I've waited enough I think starting HRT on my own at the age of 37. Also doctors in my country prescribe ineffective HRT based on ideas back from the times there wasn't bio identical estrogens easily available. Read as in they make the mistake of prescribing often way too little E and way too much AA's which are way more potentially dangerous than bio identical estrogen is.
In my case, which one is worse, wait for 1-2 years to get aged, ineffective HRT and get professional help and control (=free labs.), or to read and self educate, get the under the counter grey market stuff from a trusted source and be on my merry way sailing on luck and listening to my body? Getting labs here before gender marker fix and going through the eternal trans clinic process isn't easy either as GP's don't want to do it and I have no access to the female clinic before my gender marker is fixed. So yea, I'm defending the choice to go on DIY hormone therapy when its the only sensible choice. The other "choice" is to wait and suffer, possibly end up depressed and suicidal. The latter are hard to keep at bay anyway, at least for a trans fem like me. Official route and doctors supervision is always better in a way that there's actual tangible help around, but its not as easy everywhere as to book an appointment and have it all dealt with. Not in the gatekeeper land like ours.
For me personally, its do or die trying, there is no choice... If I don't, I would likely end up dead anyway.
I'm doing the dangerous illegal stuff DIY because in my country there's insane waiting times, I've waited enough I think starting HRT on my own at the age of 37. Also doctors in my country prescribe ineffective HRT based on ideas back from the times there wasn't bio identical estrogens easily available. Read as in they make the mistake of prescribing often way too little E and way too much AA's which are way more potentially dangerous than bio identical estrogen is.
In my case, which one is worse, wait for 1-2 years to get aged, ineffective HRT and get professional help and control (=free labs.), or to read and self educate, get the under the counter grey market stuff from a trusted source and be on my merry way sailing on luck and listening to my body? Getting labs here before gender marker fix and going through the eternal trans clinic process isn't easy either as GP's don't want to do it and I have no access to the female clinic before my gender marker is fixed. So yea, I'm defending the choice to go on DIY hormone therapy when its the only sensible choice. The other "choice" is to wait and suffer, possibly end up depressed and suicidal. The latter are hard to keep at bay anyway, at least for a trans fem like me. Official route and doctors supervision is always better in a way that there's actual tangible help around, but its not as easy everywhere as to book an appointment and have it all dealt with. Not in the gatekeeper land like ours.
For me personally, its do or die trying, there is no choice... If I don't, I would likely end up dead anyway.