Transfeminine Guide: Prescribed vs DIY

Accessing Prescribed HRT vs DIY:

There are two main ways to gain access to HRT. Through prescriptions, and through DIY avenues;

Prescribed HRT:

You have to be 18+ to access informed consent services.

Informed consent ensures you understand all the information about a medical treatment and accept the risks involved. Informed consent in the context of trans HRT means that the the effects of HRT (including risks and side effects) are explained to you by a medical professional. You can then agree to or refuse starting HRT. Under an informed consent model, an adult is able to start HRT very quickly (within days or weeks of the first appointment) after they agree to receiving HRT treatment.

See this short document for a full list for all current informed consent resources in the USA and worldwide: Informed Consent and Telehealth.

To save on prescribed HRT in the USA, try goodrx.com for free coupons to use at participating pharmacies. There are no strings attached to this service! Cost Plus Drugs is also a good source for affordable medications delivered to you by mail if you have a doctor’s prescription.

Beyond this point, this guide will focus exclusively on how to safely dose, source, and administer DIY HRT.

DIY HRT:

DIY HRT refers to any HRT that is obtained without a prescription.

Ideally, you would be on prescribed HRT through legit means. However, you may not have the privilege or means to access prescribed HRT, so this guide may be of use for you.

If you are willing to attempt DIY, it is a preferable option to not being on HRT for many. If you do not want to be on waitlists, have to prove your transness while allowing your body to masculinize, or are unable to get HRT legally, DIY may be preferable. Depending on where you order from, you may need to find out how to buy Bitcoin/other cryptocurrencies or find a way to send an international bank transfer, Moneygram, etc.

In some countries, HRT medications are sold over the counter without the need for a prescription.

For the majority of individuals, DIY HRT most commonly entails buying legitimate pharmaceutical-grade medications from foreign companies located in countries that permit the sale of medications internationally.

Homebrewed vs Pharmaceutical Grade?

Homebrewed – Refers to HRT produced by individuals, by sourcing raw estradiol ester/medication/etc powder and compounding the medication themselves. They do not synthesize (create from scratch) hormones. While the concept sounds scary, there are some well respected members of the community that produce high quality and safe HRT medications. However, homebrew will always carry more inherent risk, so keep this in mind. Homebrew vendors also tend to have more shipping delay and fulfillment issues.

Pharmaceutical grade – Refers to HRT produced by legitimate pharmaceutical companies that are licensed and subject to regulation. They are the same quality as those found in your local pharmacy. They can be ordered without a prescription from companies that are based in countries that allow for the legal exportation of such medications. These will almost always carry less inherent risk versus homebrewed hormones.

If you want to acquire DIY injections that aren’t prohibitively expensive/difficult to source, homebrewed injections are the only options available.