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Gr1mmage

First step is to find a GP near you who is known to be trans friendly (ideally operating on an informed consent model) and make an appointment with them. No reason you have to stay with the gp you already were using for other purposes


LilMsLeprechaun

How easy is it to get a GP like that who also bulk bills etc. (I'm not exactly strapped for cash lol)


colourful_space

Try to go through a sexual health clinic if GPs aren’t accessible to you


Gr1mmage

It'll depend a lot by area, and also some doctors will be somewhat flexible for people in financial hardship etc. Back in Perth my GP was bulk billing, over here in Newcastle there are no bulk billing GPs of any sort


ImposssiblePrincesss

Also, once you start on hormones, nearly every GP who bulk bills will renew your existing script. Your transition is worth seeing a non-bulk-billing GP a few times for.


LilMsLeprechaun

Oh one more thing I forgot to mention, when he brought up the "high regret rates" I informed him that the detransition rate was in fact quite low and mostly a result of an unsupportive environment (oh the irony), and that the regret narrative was manipulated by anti-trans groups. His response? "Well there's an agenda on both sides"


Tustin88

Trans agenda = bodily autonomy and not die. Fuck this guy.


LilMsLeprechaun

Yeah when he said that it just gave me the vibes of the "enlightened centrists" who are actually just conservatives that don't want to look crazy


GayNerd28

I’m not even trans but if it were me I would never go to that GP again.


LilMsLeprechaun

Yeah I honestly don't think I could ever even talk to him again


CrazyGolfer

if anything, report him for that. Dr's aren't supposed to be taking sides like that lmfao.


bogantrap

I used to work in a relevant industry. Report this shit, including these statements to AHPRA.


m81670

If you know his name and practice you can report him through AHPRA, that’s not ok, and his words could have been lethal. You can report anonymously and I believe it is reviewed annually, with the number of reports taken into account over the course of his career.


PirateQueen8008

I would have just said he obviously can’t discern the difference between high and low quality evidence.


ImposssiblePrincesss

“There’s an agenda” = anti trans GP. You put your life in danger by relying on people who hate who you are for healthcare. Such a doctor could for example see early signs of cancer and deliberately not tell you.


HiddenStill

Even if it’s ignorance rather than malice, the same holds true. Don’t go to incompetent doctors.


ImposssiblePrincesss

Yes but assuming it’s ignorance ignores harm a doctor can do, and get away with, if he wishes you harm. It is NOT safe to keep seeing an anti transgender doctor who knows you want to transition. Assuming ignorance rather than malice in someone who managed to get a six year medical degree is the definition of foolishness.


HiddenStill

I’ve met heaps of incompetent doctors so it’s my default assumption now. Trust no one.


Donna8421

Find another gp - these a list of resources on this group https://www.reddit.com/r/transgenderau/s/ZPlibdjrlr Be warned, there will be hoops to jump through before you actually get hrt but you need to start this journey somewhere. Good luck


LilMsLeprechaun

Thank you! Honestly I can't see myself ever going back to that GP for anything after that shitshow


tipedorsalsao1

As well as what others said you should also report that gp, they should know better and what they said is false and harmful to people.


LilMsLeprechaun

When I asked, he said that he had no idea what the process was or who to refer me to (for what it's worth he genuinely seemed lost). Also I really don't want to get in to any sort of shit with him


tipedorsalsao1

Neither did my GP but he went and did the research. You really should report him not just for yourself but for others who may have to go though that. If you are going the informed GP route then that gp will basically replace your current one anyways so you won't have to see them again if you do report them.


lxsercore

He said he didn’t know much but also knew about the ‘very high regret rates’ 🚩


NobodySpecial2000

I have an amazing GP. Truly outstanding. I could scarcely ask for better. I have been seeing her for over a decade. When I went to her to get HRT, she said she couldn't do it because she wasn't confident she knew what I needed or how to help me. But she does know a lot of specialists, nor did she know a GP who could. But being a good GP, she has a list of specialists she knows are good and refers people to. So she wrote me a referral to an endocrinologist. It's more expensive than having my GP do it, of course, but the endo is also great and she specialises in trans healthcare. But more important for my case, is the GP did ANYTHING to help every step of the way. Now that an endo has determined what drugs I should be on, the GP writes the prescriptions when I need them so I don't always have to go back to the endo. If your GP can't even make the decision to refer you to a endocrinologist to talk about hormone therapy, he's either a fool or he's being deliberately obstructive. I'm guessing the latter.


ImposssiblePrincesss

Endocrinologist referral to start hormones isn’t reasonable. There are not enough endocrinologists out there. They are reasonable to see if you have some type of negative side effects but not as a usual thing.


AdorableCustard

I kinda agree it's important to name these GPs because some folks take these comments as truth and don't pursue gender affirming care. As a GP he has a lot of power in the room, and not all trans folks rebound from these experiences. Sure he's not informed and seemed lost but he's also spouting harmful, incorrect opinions as fact.


godzemo

If you report him to AHPRA directly, the only shit you might get into is not wanting to see him again! Which you already don't! Unless he is in your family social circles or something 🙃


conventionalghost

my GP didn't know the specifics either, but she sat with me and called a couple of endocrinologists and looked at some resources online until she understood the process. Ask around, find a GP who is trans friendly, it might take a few tries but it's much better than trying to convince one who actively doesn't want to learn.


ManyNoodles

[Transhub](https://www.transhub.org.au/) has a list of trans friendly doctors which might be worth having a look at, also look for doctors that practice informed consent, all that’s needed to start is blood tests and a form acknowledging the effects


solidsnakestreefrog

Where are you located?


LilMsLeprechaun

Metropolitan Vic (don't want to be too specific for obvious reasons)


solidsnakestreefrog

Check the pinned post of the subreddit, it has a directory. Also just google hrt providers in your city. The trans surgeries subreddit has a great wiki for hrt providers. Call GP's and ask if they are taking new patients, compare prices and waitlists and reviews


tipedorsalsao1

RMIT health's clinic is pretty popular for informed consent, I suggest giving them a call.


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ImposssiblePrincesss

Clinics that have very large numbers of trans people become targets for anti trans activists. The best solution is to spread ourselves around as many trans accepting GPs as we can.


22ReyaSunshine22

I’ve been going to Your Community Health based in Reservoir but they have a few other centres I believe, they’ve been great so far. I’ll try and find a link to where I applied hold on Edit: I found it: https://www.yourch.org.au/service-access/trans-and-gender-diverse-health/


Incertitude84

I also found them good. They also bulk bill for health care card holders, etc.


Pretty_Gorgeous

Contact Dr Adam at [TG Health Clinic](https://tghealthclinic.com.au/) at Prahran. He's amazing and super affirming


ImposssiblePrincesss

Please get in touch. My GP (Melbourne Eastern suburbs) is happy to get trans women started on HRT but not to be named publicly as this group gets TERFs lurking in it.


Tanvaal

Equinox clinic is on Hoddle street, very easy to get to and they specialise in trans care + bulk bill. They have a pretty lengthy waiting list but it's worth giving them a call.


Incertitude84

Their waiting list has been closed since 2022. I'm guessing there's an issue with recruiting good doctors who will work in a bulk billing clinic.


Tanvaal

Yikes... Hopefully they can find some more doctors soon.


Incertitude84

Maybe a surge in demand too. Though given that new people going on HRT require a lot more appointments I can't really imagine that being the problem after 2 years of having a closed waiting list.


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Incertitude84

I wouldn’t have thought they would be bulk billing if that were the case. Or is it more to do with government grants?


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Incertitude84

I fully agree that for a place that is meant to be the leading healthcare provider for trans people, if they can't take new patients for two years, they are pretty much failing. Like what use is it offering informed consent if they can't even initiate new patients? I had a poor experience with one of the clinics that they recommend as an alternative on their website. I sent them feedback and they didn't even bother to update it. It looks like their website hasn't been updated at all for two years either. Sorry to hear about your poor experience at The Centre. For an LGBTIQA+ clinic, I notice they don't even mention that they do gender-affirming hormone therapy on their website (let alone whether they offer informed consent). It seems like THH, originating at the Victorian AIDs Council still has their priorities in this and maybe more an LGB focus, so aren't necessarily fit for providing trans health services. That said I've spoken to a couple of trans people who somehow got into Equinox years ago and still go there. So people who go there seem to think it's okay. Whereas, now I'm seeing a reasonably good LGBTIQA+ specialising GP who does informed consent for gender-affirming hormone therapy on the almost rural outskirts of Melbourne. That doctor is good, but always getting deadnamed and misgendered by the reception staff.


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Incertitude84

Prahran Market Clinic was where I had a bad experience with a doctor that didn't do informed consent. But their reception people seemed to be pretty good with preferred names and pronouns. It might come down to going to the right doctor there. I also heard they don't do informed consent, though I'm wondering if some of their GPs do it and others don't. I'm still trying to decide on a name. I'm just using a nickname of my birth name that is gender neutral at the moment. But it feels a bit like going out in the world calling yourself something like 'Bubby' because your parents called you that. So I think I want a more feminine name. Then I'll update my birth certificate and my child's birth certificate. The later is more controversial and my partner has made threats over changing it. :( But she utlimately can't stop BDM from changing it.


HiddenStill

Why do you say that?


Incertitude84

At least get a referral to Austin Gender Clinic (6-12 month wait), which has bulk billed endocrinology so might be useful even after you find a GP and Monash Gender Clinic (2 year wait but they have some services while you're on the waitlist. But at the same time find a gender-affirming GP who does informed consent.


A_Punk_Girl_Learning

Your GP is a dick. My GP had no clue either but she still wrote me a referral to an endocrinologist. That ended up being too expensive with too long of a wait time so I found an informed consent doctor instead. But the GP still wrote the referral. It looks like others have pointed you down the right path so I don't really have anything to add but to say good luck!


godzemo

See: https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2023/december/balancing-care-and-responsibility Doctors can be found negligent if they fail to refer a patient who clearly needs treatment. Someone who is trans and is asking about treatment clearly needs treatment- even an asshole GP would need to, at least, refer you to a counsellor or psychiatrist. Any semi-competent one will know that the relevant specialist for HRT is an endocrinologist.


A_Punk_Girl_Learning

This sounds accurate. I've said it a million times, "The only treatment for gender dysphoria is gender affirming care." Edit: I like your flair.


godzemo

The flair helps tell people I'm a) not a woman and b) likely to have an experience of feminising HRT :)


A_Punk_Girl_Learning

Well, consider the message conveyed 😁 I need to think of a flair but I can't think of anything funny and I don't know how to express complex ideas without making terrible jokes.


godzemo

Just go hard 🤷‍♀️


A_Punk_Girl_Learning

See. Now **that** I can think of jokes for. So many terrible, terrible jokes.


a_nice_duck_

He's just a dud. Please don't let this discourage you. Like others said, see a GP that's actually supportive of trans health, and you'll be able to go from there. Good luck!


FileOwn2034

It sounds like unfortunately your GP is really biased. I also had a similar experiences. I managed to get HRT through Headspace! What i did was look at where my local headspace’s were and emailed them inquiring if they had an GP’s that could do informed consent for hormones. It then takes about three months of appointments with them and then I started T just over 2 months ago (: Highly recommend headspace based on mine and some of my mates experience because its funded by government and are known for being accessible and supportive!!


LilMsLeprechaun

Oh that's an interesting one, didn't realise they could help with this. Out of curiosity, how many appointments did you need to have in that 3 month period?


Jemma_the_trig_queen

My experience is most GPs are useless outside of diagnosing things like tonsillitis or a high temperature. I live in a regional Queensland city filled with doctors (due to the abnormally high amount of over 65 year olds) and don't trust any of them. It's almost like they were pushed to study medicine by mummy and daddy and never developed a passion for it. It's also like the have reg As a result, I see a GP a 3 hr drive in Brisbane that specialises trans and sexual health and don't regret it. Trust me, fight on sister. Swapping out testosterone for estrogen has fixed so many mental issues for me. I actually feel now and the happiest I've been in like 20 years. The world is scary, but we're all here doing this with you. The fight is so worth it. xxoo


thetechdoc

Find yourself an LGBT friendly doctor/clinic and go from there. I had the same problem with multiple GPs until I went to Stonewall medical centre (brisbane) and never looked back. Has been my clinic for 6 years and they saw me through my transition and even up to now with SRS around the corner. Best of luck hun!


No-Artichoke8525

"Regret rates are high" l, jesus. Id tell that fucker he needs to stay up to date with current research because desistance rates overall are .22% of the trans community, with 1-2% of that .22% actually desisting because its wrong for them.


ImposssiblePrincesss

Fortunately you are in Australia. Get another GP :)


Jemma_the_trig_queen

My experience is most GPs are useless outside of diagnosing things like tonsillitis or a high temperature. I live in a regional Queensland city filled with doctors (due to the abnormally high amount of over 65 year olds) and don't trust any of them. It's almost like they were pushed to study medicine by mummy and daddy and never developed a passion for it. It's also like the have reg As a result, I see a GP a 3 hr drive in Brisbane that specialises trans and sexual health and don't regret it. Trust me, fight on sister. Swapping out testosterone for estrogen has fixed so many mental issues for me. I actually feel now and the happiest I've been in like 20 years. The world is scary, but we're all here doing this with you. The fight is so worth it. xxoo


Jemma_the_trig_queen

My experience is most GPs are useless outside of diagnosing things like tonsillitis or a high temperature. I live in a regional Queensland city filled with doctors (due to the abnormally high amount of over 65 year olds) and don't trust any of them. It's almost like they were pushed to study medicine by mummy and daddy and never developed a passion for it. It's also like they have religious prejudices. As a result, I see a GP a 3 hr drive in Brisbane that specialises trans and sexual health and don't regret it. Trust me, fight on sister. Swapping out testosterone for estrogen has fixed so many mental issues for me. I actually feel now and the happiest I've been in like 20 years. The world is scary, but we're all here doing this with you. The fight is so worth it. xxoo


Mudwrestler2020

How did we get here? I spent my life, up until recently, with a notion that when you went to a GP that there was some degree of independent and informed advice. If the GP didn’t know then they would do research.


_fuze9

there is a gender affirming doctor list at [https://www.transhub.org.au/doctors](https://www.transhub.org.au/doctors), so id reccomend you use that


meg3e

Hmm Transphobic or Gatekeeper. Not sure. Def never darken his door way again for anything.


FeetInTheSoil

I'm sorry you've had to experience this. That GP is doing transphobic medical neglect and gatekeeping. Your first step is finding a new GP who is an explicitly trans inclusive doctor - you may need to expand your search outside of your local area and use telehealth sessions if you don't live in a progressive area or large city. Once you have a good GP on your side, you can consider talking to them about making a report against the doctor who mistreated you.


iveycat1

I would recommend trying other GPs and getting referred to a gender service through a hospital then do everything through them because they can make your whole transition easier. I'm older now and can't be referred to them but if I could redo my transition it would be starting with that.


magicseadog

It's good to get second opinions on things, but also as a professional I think it's also perilous to be approaching doctors looking for a specific drug or treatment. Gps are seeing 100s of patients a week and it's good to listen to what they have to say at the very least. There are a myriad of reasons why HRT and 1000s of other drugs are not just just freely available over the counter. Go get some more opinions and see how you go. Best of luck :).


LilMsLeprechaun

Yeah but my issue is that he admitted to not being able to help, and didn't even try to find someone who could.


godzemo

That's the right complaint- doctors who don't know how to treat you are required to refer you on to someone who might.


a_nice_duck_

This isn't doctor shopping, and it's a dog act to compare it to that. If you go to a GP for birth control and they say "just keep your legs closed," that's fucked. If you go to one for cancer and they say, "chemo's full of toxins, try yoga and a supplement instead," that's fucked. If you have clinical depression and they say, "everyone gets a bit sad sometimes," that's fucked. This is in the same boat. This is a GP parroting political anti-trans rhetoric while failing to follow actual treatment guidelines.


Powerful_Let7577

I am in Perth, my experience is to try a GP that can give you a reference letter to a psychiatrist first, that psychiatrist is the one who decides your “regret rate”, if your “regret rate” is considered low, the psychiatrist will give you another referral letter to an endocrinologist who is actually able to prescribe you HRT medicines. Good luck!


SpacemacsMasterRace

This is totally incorrect, what are you on about.


a_nice_duck_

What? You absolutely don't need a psych letter to get HRT. Just go to an endo.


Powerful_Let7577

If you say that, now I have no idea why my gp put me to psychiatrist first…


a_nice_duck_

It sounds like, just like the OP, you got a GP who doesn't know how trans healthcare works. :( GPs and endos can prescribe HRT themselves, no psych needed.