Ask a trans person!

[Linus]

Originally Posted by Logicaly

First time posting in this thread, but been reading along quietly as I contemplate where I want to go with my life...

I know who I am, and what I am. I am male, but very much retain my queer identity at the same time. It is what works for me.

That being said, I have finally made the decision that I am ready to start seeing a therapist, and taking T so that I can move forward with who I am.

First question, how did you go about finding a therapist? I'm in the San Francisco bay area, so I am sure I have a lot of resources available to me, but I am also very secluded, and have for most of my life been a hermit, so I am very unaware of what my resources are around me.

Second question, has anyone looked into an alternative to shots? I have such a huge issue with needles, of any kind, that it is a big deal breaker for me unfortunately. I know there are options such as the patch, or a gel. Does anyone have any experience with these? I've been doing a little bit of reading up on them and it seems they might be viable options for me.

In regards to your first question, if it were me I'd start here: http://www.tgsf.org/ they likely have the resources and contacts you need.

As for the 2nd, once the 1st is addressed they can look into other mechanisms for getting T. I've heard that patch based T tends to be a "lower" dosage (lower being a relative term). There are also "pellets", although these are more expensive they last for 3-4 months at a time (not sure yet if the US allows for those yet). I don't know much about the gel other than it has to be done daily.