When I went on HRT, I underwent a single phone interview with GenderGP to assess me. I told them I wasn't even sure what I identified as, as this was when I was starting to have my gender dysphoria ease as I realized being a woman wasn't this mark of the beast or whatever. after a 30 minute phone call, I was advised testogel. After paying, I got my testogel in two weeks. I got it delivered, and never had to see anyone face to face, or do more than 30 minutes of talking where I was pretty open about being confused about my gender.
I was told that testosterone would improve my energy, after I was open in my application about having disorders that give me chronic fatigue. I was told it would help me lose weight, very alluring as an overweight woman. I was told I would gain muscle. Asked if baldness ran in my family on the men side, I said yes, and the person I was talking with hand waved it and said I wouldn't have to worry.
Never once was I told that it'd affect my fertility. Never once was I told I would start losing hair. I was not told that I would be going through menopause as a fresh adult. I was not told about vaginal atrophy. I was not told about the liver problems, the bone problems, anything. They never assessed whether I could give full consent (I am autistic, disabled, and need caretaking to function day to day)
TRAs will say it's still my fault, that I was an adult and should have known better. I was told I was transgender since I was an ACTUAL CHILD. I was socially transitioned before I even hit puberty. When you spend over a decade like that, of course you're going to go into that as an adult.
AND TRAs will say that getting hormones is not easy. It is a fucking lie. If you have money, you can get hormones. You do not need gender dysphoria, you do not need an actual evaluation. You give them money, and they will tell you it is a miracle drug that will cure what your problems are.
Ok so I'm 20 and I thought I wouldn't start testosterone until I was much older with the NHS' 5-10 year wait time. HOWEVER. I have managed to start HRT in a matter of DAYS through private healthcare.
So I wanted to make this post for my fellow trans people who want to start HRT. If you have £400, you can start through GenderGP. the £400 covers:
-The signup fee
-The subscription fee
-The independent prescriber fee
-The consent session fee
-The cost of the testosterone/estrogen prescription
They ship the prescription to your address after ordering and they provide a wide range of different options for each hormone. They also can prescribe hormone blockers and have services for under 16s.
I wanted to share because I had been searching for any gender services that did not require the patient to meet a strict guideline of needs such as having a GP in a specific area. GenderGP is for everyone inside and outside the UK. And I hope this can help some trans person looking for any way to transition as soon as possible.
I know the price is pretty steep but where I was mentally, I NEEDED to start HRT by any means and because I attend university, I receive a maintenance loan. So I was willing to fork over my money from that to start.
The staff were extremely nice and include queer people so I felt comfortable.
This is just to let people in the UK know there is an easy and fast way to start because I never see any good private healthcare options for trans people.
I'm officially one week on T, which is cool as fuck, but also made me think. Immediately prior to starting, I looked at other people reporting changes within their first week. I found a couple of Reddit threads but Tumblr seems to be particularly barren of this information. Furthermore, I didn't find many people who were on gel at a similar dosage to me. So, I thought I'd make this post as a tutorial on how to use GenderGP for people who are unclear as well as documenting the first week of changes.
Obviously, the speed of changes will be different for everyone, and some people see literally no changes until one or two months in. I also know it's unlikely that this post will reach a wide audience, but I just hope this post can help someone else in a similar situation to me acquire HRT and learn what they might expect in the early days.
Some Context:
I'm from the UK
I use GenderGP
I am currently on the standard dose dispensed by GenderGP (40.5mg a day of transdermal Testosterone gel (Testogel)).
This post is predominantly intended for people based in the UK, being most helpful for those planning to use the private route. The week one changes will likely not be too dissimilar from NHS prescriptions.
Pre-T - Getting the Prescription:
This is essentially a step-by-step guide to getting the prescription from GenderGP. Unfortunately, I cannot advise on any other route like acquiring NHS bridging prescriptions due to a total lack of experience.
Step One: Book the consultation with a docotor on the GenderGP website (I ended up getting the T within five days of booking this, but the timeline may vary based on GenderGP availability or other circumstances). This will be a Google Meet link sent to you via Email.
Sidenote - GenderGP has no sympathy if you miss this appointment and you will simply have to pay for another one if you miss it without rescheduling. Just don't make the same mistake I did and have to pay twice (big sad).
This consultation if 45 minutes as consists of the doctor confirming that you are aware of some changes being irreversible as well as ensuring that you have full awareness of what your desired hormone treatment will do to your body and appearance long-term. This contributes to their policy of informed consent so they can't catch a case if you detransition. If you are under 16, a parent or guardian must also be present to consent on your behalf since the age of informed medical consent in the UK is 16.
The doctor in the session will then direct and instruct your filling out of the prescription request. They will likely start you out on the transdermal gel as opposed to injections. You will also be asked (if you haven't already) to subscribe to GenderGP, which costs £30 monthly.
Sidenote - You also need bloodwork done every three months, so ensure you find an NHS GP who is willing to facilitate this so you don't have to pay GenderGP a a shit ton of money for bloodwork.
Step Two: You will be asked to book a 30 minute information gathering session (also referred to as a consent session) with an adviser. I had this two days after the initial consultation. You can book this on the same webpage as booking the doctor consultation.
This session confirms your consent and GenderGP will be able to prepare your prescription within two working days of the session.
Step Three: It might help to enquire with your local pharmacy before or during the GenderGP process to ensure that they will order it in for you. Once you have the prescription, get to your local pharmacy as soon as possible. If you get lucky like I did and get there before their daily order arrives, you may get the prescription the same day. If now, you will likely have it the next day. I have received a three month supple.
Day One - First Application:
Please read the instructions inside the box of Testogel. This will inform you of how to apply.
If you have excess gel on your hands, apply it to an arbitrary part of your body, like your stomach or thighs, rather than washing it off.
The instructions will tell you to dispose of the first three pumps of the bottle without explaining why. This is because the first pumps have a slightly lower dosage than the rest of the bottle. If you don't mind an ever-so-slightly lower dose, feel free to use these pumps, they are perfectly safe.
First Week - Day-By-Day Breakdown of Changes I Personally Experienced.
DISCLAIMER: Some of these changes came much faster for me than other people I saw talking about it online. T is different for everyone and my experience is not universal in the slightest. That being said, I hope this can help someone prepare for what they might expect for week one.
Day One:
I had significantly more energy than I normally do during the day.
I was very hungry with a large appetite, a big change given that I usually struggle with nausea and, until starting T, I did not eat more than two small/medium meals a day. Not I eat three full meals a day with intermittent snacks between meals.
I was very sweaty, specifically, I was clammy all over, which hasn't happened before. I have, every day since starting T, experienced intermittent hot flashes.
Day Two:
I woke up feeling rested for the first time since I developed insomnia nine years ago.
The energy I gained from sleeping was retained throughout the entire day, which has been consistent every day since, which is unusual since I am usually fatigued throughout the day.
I responded to warmth more severely than others around me, finding myself being far too warm very quickly in relatively moderately warm places.
I began to become ready for sleep around 11 PM, differing from Pre-T, where I did not feel remotely ready for sleep until 1 AM at the earliest.
Day 3:
I woke up hungry, contrasting the nausea I tended to experience upon waking up Pre-T. Until taking T, I usually had no appetite until midday.
Day 4:
Nothing new, but I will mention (since I just remembered) that I implore you to take your T at the same time every day and take it in the morning! I do mine a 9.30 AM. This is because the Testosterone cycle is 24 hours long instead of a month like the Oestrogen cycle, meaning that if you kickstart the Testosterone cycle at the wrong time (afternoon, evening, or nighttime) you run the risk of your energy levels being absolutely fucked and experiencing severe fatigue. I haven't experienced this but that is mainly because I saw other people online who had, so I thought I'd spread the word.
I also advise you up your protein intake very early after starting T. This will encourage the most effective fat redistribution. I do this via protein shakes. Also eating foods like ice cream increases likelihood of effective body fat redistribution.
Day 5:
Increased hunger got more persistent and I ate a lot more than I usually would.
Day 6:
First signs of increased facial hair growth. This is in the form of the tiniest most whiskery moustache ever, but it is much longer than any previous facial hair.
Increase in chest hair that is much darker in colour than before.
My girlfriend also told me my voice sounded slightly deeper. I hasn't dropped, but it's more like the Testosterone has encouraged me to speak from a lower level of what my range already was before (if that makes sense).
Day 7:
Moustache was slightly longer.
I noticed much darker and longer arm and leg hair.
(crawls out of depression pit)
HEY GUYS :D
sorry i've been dealing with many stuff that's impacted my stuff, aka college projects, dealing with the void in my life/lh
i have actually created a gofundme for starting with transition stuff!! please boost and donate if you can:
https://gofund.me/8bce130d
But the TQ+ cult continues to deny that children are transed
Helen Webberley says that her GenderGP business has 10,000 patients but denies that she is treating them personally
Dr Helen Webberley said that her licence had been revoked on a technicality
ADRIAN SHERRATT FOR THE TIMES
James Beal, Social Affairs Editor Friday July 19 2024
The General Medical Council has revoked the licence to practise of a controversial British doctor whose offshore clinic treats transgender children.
Dr Helen Webberley, 55, will lose her licence in Britain from Friday but will remain on the GMC’s register, following the decision by the medical regulator.
The decision was made by the GMC after she did not comply with a registered doctor’s legal obligation to revalidate their licence every five years.
Webberley runs GenderGP, an online company registered in Singapore, which facilitates access to puberty blockers and hormones for adults and children.
She told The Times that the decision would not prevent her from continuing in her role at GenderGP and said that she did not personally treat the patients.
Michael Webberley was struck off in 2022 for prescribing hormones to patients as young as nine without proper assessments
Webberley said: “I fought incredibly hard to keep my licence, both for myself and also for the community, because it’s important to set precedent. Now to have it taken away on a technicality, if you like, is very heartbreaking, but I will continue my work as I have done.”
GenderGP assesses adults and children with gender dysphoria and connects them to doctors outside Britain, in the European Economic Area (EEA), for prescriptions for hormones.
This means UK children as young as eight can access puberty blockers, despite the Cass Report, a review of trans healthcare led by the paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass, concluding there was no good evidence for prescribing them.
Webberley was suspended from practising medicine in 2022 after she was found to have committed serious misconduct by a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel over her treatment of three trans children. She successfully appealed against the decision at the High Court in 2023.
Dr Hilary Cass’s review found there was no good evidence to support the global clinical practice of prescribing hormones to under-18s to pause puberty
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
Webberley said that she had not used her licence to practise since 2017, when investigations into her conduct by the GMC began. She said that she could not revalidate her licence because she could not find a “responsible officer”, or suitable person, to vouch for her fitness to practise.
Doctors are required to notify the GMC of a designated body and responsible officer to do this.
Webberley said: “The difficulty is … I no longer have a connection with an NHS trust or a GP surgery. I don’t have a responsible officer. It’s also very difficult to get that connection after what I’ve been through.”
She says she was offered the chance to take an exam in order to revalidate her licence, but declined because they “don’t have one for doctors working in transgender medicine”.
Michael and Helen Webberley are now thought to be living in Spain while their business is registered in Singapore
The GMC then withdrew her licence, which it can do if it determines that guidance to revalidate has not been complied with “without reasonable excuse”.
Webberley, from south Wales, said that she would carry on her work at GenderGP.
She said: “I’m not allowed to directly treat and manage individual patients [but] I’m not treating them.
“Treatment means sitting down with somebody, making a diagnosis, making a treatment management plan, prescribing medication, following up investigations and results.
“With GenderGP we have a whole team of professionals who do that. I don’t treat patients individually. They [the GMC] don’t have a regulatory role in my wider work.”
A GMC spokesman said: “Every licensed doctor must take part in the revalidation process, which provides assurance that they are keeping their knowledge up to date, are fit to practise and that no concerns have been raised about them.
“Doctors who do not have a connection to a designated body or suitable person are able to revalidate in a number of ways, including by passing a written multiple choice test called a revalidation assessment.
“There are 12 assessments to choose from, and doctors are encouraged to choose one closest to their most recent area of specialty. We cannot tailor assessments to every doctor’s specific area of practice.
“If doctors do not comply with our guidance on revalidation without reasonable excuse, we may withdraw their licence to practise.”
Webberley and her husband Michael, who set up GenderGP in 2015, are now believed to live in Spain.
As an online business based abroad it is not registered with the Care Quality Commission, but Helen Webberley has denied basing it in Asia to avoid scrutiny.
Michael Webberley, 67, a former gastroenterologist, was struck off in 2022 for prescribing hormones to patients as young as nine without proper assessments.
GenderGP was also criticised in the High Court earlier this year for giving “dangerously high” levels of hormones to a 16-year-old, who was born female but identified as male, that could have resulted in sudden death.
Webberley has called the court claim “untrue”. The Times reported last month that GenderGP, which has more than 10,000 patients, had ditched health advisers in favour of an AI algorithm providing “self-service” treatment.
Behind the story
The health secretary Wes Streeting has indicated that he will seek to make permanent the temporary three-month ban on puberty blockers being supplied to children (James Beal writes).
But Helen Webberley said children at her clinic were still getting hold of them.
Laws to ban the drugs being supplied by private or offshore clinics were passed by Victoria Atkins, Streeting’s predecessor, in emergency legislation before the general election.
They are due to expire on September 3, but the Labour government suggested last week that it would, subject to court proceedings, renew the ban with a view to making it permanent.
It followed the Cass Report, which found there was no good evidence to support the global clinical practice of prescribing hormones to under-18s to pause puberty or transition.
However, Webberley, in an interview with The Times last month, said patients at her offshore clinic were going abroad, using foreign doctors and chemists, to side-step the ban.
She said: “The parents of young people who are affected by this ban will find another way. The last thing is that they will allow their child to stop the puberty blocker and start going through puberty. That’s going to really really affect them mentally and physically.
“I know mums and dads who are just going on holiday to get their puberty blocker instead. They’re going to wherever they’re going on holiday this year.”
Distancing GenderGP, her clinic, from their actions, she said: “We don’t have to find those opportunities, the parents find those ways of managing it.”
Now the revelation that she has lost her GMC licence to practise may increase concerns about her clinic, which operates out of reach of regulators such as the Care Quality Commission.
It follows disclosures that GenderGP had created an AI algorithm to make treatment recommendations rather than using health advisers.
However, given the state of transgender healthcare in the UK, with long waiting lists for treatment, it may not deter transgender patients from turning to GenderGP.
Not what I usually post about but if you're trans in the UK and can't afford to wait years for the NHS to help you I'd look at alternatives that aren't gendergp. They've been absolutely awful at communicating the entire time I've been speaking with them and if I hadn't spent a lot of the money already I'd back out and find someone else. Not encouraging anyone to not transition, but I'd say make sure you find something reliable.
In the UK, poorer trans people (and also anyone else seeking gender affirmative care) have one, really good, outlet for help- that's GenderGP! I'm with them! They're saving my life!
And they fucking suck. Their website is obtuse, hardly working, resources are routinely delayed and lots of people struggle with them; that struggle comes with suffering.
That there's the rub. The UK (and other states they operate in) is so transphobic, this is the absolute *best* we can get. At any time GenderGP could face some new legal challenge - they 've been existentially threatened before - and then a multitude of trans people would be facing a 5+ year waiting just to get a chance with a gatekeeping GP. And that's at best.
GenderGP isn't very good. But it's also the best, because it's bad for practical reasons rather than ideological ones. Because we live in a transphobic state and have to dig our claws in lifelines.
And, well, that sucks.
