My therapist recommended that I speak with a specialist about HRT, the impacts it might/might not have, and discuss a plan. I tried Planned Parenthood, but it’s not covered by my insurance. My insurance provider (UHC) seems to only provide me with references to surgeons for MTF surgeries, which I’m not interested in. I just want to speak with someone who can have a discussion about how HRT might work and how - in particular - it might impact my fertility. I want to know what options are available to me to increase the likelihood of maintaining my fertility.
Are there online services available to help me ask these questions and get answer specific to my goals? Does it make sense to try and sign up for Plume (which is covered by my insurance) for this kind of thing?
This resource has a comprehensive overview of the effects of HRT:
It doesn’t really address those deeper questions about fertility though. I feel like I need a chart or something that shows what meds impact fertility, how quickly, how likely, etc.
This website has a lot of info: https://transfemscience.org/
I’d also see if you can get a consult with an endocrinologist, especially one who prescribes HRT already, they might be able to discuss the level of detail you are looking for better than a GP. You should be able to look up endocrinologists on the UHC website, some will even have the tag “LGBTQ friendly” or something like it, I would start there!
Thanks that’s helpful as well! I’ll check it out
in particular start with this article: https://transfemscience.org/articles/transfem-intro/
I would see if you could get a referral to an endocrinologist that your local trans community recommends, and then ask them your questions. Unfortunately doctors are generally clueless about trans healthcare, though, so educating yourself first is a necessity.
I think most doctors will tell you that estrogen will make you permanently infertile, but you should take this with a grain of salt. I’m not sure how many will know that trans women have regained fertility when pausing HRT.
I would start with your primary care physician to be honest. In a lot of cases (far from most, but still), PCs can at least make referrals to the right people. Plus if it’s your PC and assuming your PC is covered, then they’d likely also suggest providers in network.
If you feel safe then they should at least be brought into the conversation at an early stage. If you do t feel safe then time for a new PC.
Good luck. It can be overwhelming, but certainly not insurmountable.
Also to add that, while I’m not a doctor, HRT will affect your fertility in nearly all cases. If one day having biological children is something important to you, you should look into freezing sperm before starting.
This is probably what I should do. I didn’t consider it because my PC was kind of weird for me. I didn’t enjoy talking with him and he kind of had some less-than-progressive takes. I’m going to find a new PC and setup an appointment with them. Maybe I can even do a virtual visit.
I had a lot better luck finding a good PCP through Zocdoc than through my insurance company’s directory. If you have trouble I recommend checking it out.
Give folxhealth.com a try, they do entirely online HRT services. You should be able to set up a consultation with them. I recommend writing down any specific questions you have and asking them at the end, it can be a lot of information to process.
