HRT: Where to start?

Male who wants to get HRT HOW?

@karieanthony Have you reached out to your primary doctor to discuss this? They would have your complete health history, and if need be, direct you towards an endocrinologist.
Ginger

Hi @karieanthony, I moved your question about where to get HRT for gender affirming care to the LGBTQIA Health group here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/lgbtqia-health/

I did this so you can meet other members like @bobbie4481 @tayla @wulfronnie @dsjohnston53 @jeri444 who can share resources on getting started with gender-affirming care.

You could also look into these resources:
- Plume: Gender Affirming Care https://getplume.co/gender-affirming-hormone-therapy/
- PFLAG https://pflag.org/

@karieanthony, do you feel safe talking to your doctor about transitioning?

Hi, Colleen.
Saw the note. I'm happy to add a 70 year old transgender woman's perspective.
Bobbie

In response to the inquiry for HRT at age 70; I "invited myself in" at 68 and began HRT within a few weeks (after years of therapy). Yes, it's possible to start, but there are some precautions to consider. First of all, there is zero medical research on geriatric transgender people, so you are going to be someone's experiment moving forward.
Try to find a primary care provider who is certified through the Worldwide Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). They are the gold standard for our community.
You will want a blood immediately before you start to get baseline Testosterone and Estrogen levels. Once you start on your meds, you'll want to pull new labs quarterly to check your progress for the first two years minimally.
Assume you'll be started on a low dose estrogen, probably 0.1mg patches to start, changed twice weekly. You'll likely be placed on a testosterone blocker such as spiro, maybe 100 mg daily.
If you don't have a primary care provider, you may be able to get help initially through Planned Parenthood, depending on what state you're in. parlay online can also be a good source for meds as well.
All of this assumes you're in reasonable health, a nonsmoker and not significantly overweight.

Spell check correction: P-Flag, as opposed to parlay, noted above.

Before getting comprehensive care at Mayo, I initiated hrt at my local Planned Parenthood. PP was very accommodating and empathetic towards my needs.

Prior to GRS, my reconstructive surgeon strongly urged me to get hrt and have it monitored by a board certified endocrinologist.

Mayo is awesome. I receive care at Jacksonville. The transgender and intersex clinic is amazing and one of the best on the planet.