# Resources For Trans Folks On The Road?



## Honey Crust (Jan 20, 2019)

Hey all, I’m a traveling trans girl who’s been on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for about a year and a half. My pharmacy is in Denver, and whenever I needed to refill my prescription during the summer I’d have to make my way back to Colorado once a month to get my hormones. I’d like to not have to do that lol

I was wondering if any other folks know of ways to get either free or heavily discounted hormones, and/or how to get them when you’re a thousand miles away from where you should be. 

I’d also like this thread to be a general resource for any traveling transgender folks to find clinics, pro bono therapists, LGBTQ+ spaces that are explicitly trans-friendly, or any other ways to help each other out on the road. Thank y’all for your time!!


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## Deleted member 20 (Jan 20, 2019)

Could you not have a friend/family member get your prescription & mail it out to you. This is a common dilemma & practice among travelers. I routinely pick up scripts for family members (even narcotics), if its a controlled substance I gotta show ID but surprisingly the person prescribed the script doesnt have to be the one actually picking it up. I am unsure how stuff goes in Denver but assume there is always a way to sort this out without a return trip. Lots of people are on meds & often they take extended trips. Usually one needs to get their Doctor to initiate such processes. Often they get authorization from the insurance co who gives the pharmacy the ability to fill like a 3 month supply in advance. Many insurance companies & Pharmacists just need the doc to start the process so I would just tell your Doc your plans & get them on board. Instead of being at risk of running out I would just communicate how you live & travel with your Doctor & see if they will accommodate the request.

Now I am not trans but my teen is FTM. The shitty thing here for us to be able to get top surgery & HRT is that he needs to go to weekly therapy. Hes only 14 and not a traveler but the bureaucracy around transitioning requires monthly medical/psych visits & 4 weekly counseling sessions. Kind of unfair mandatory requirements that wouldnt exist while seeking other medical treatment. But we just play the game.


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## Honey Crust (Jan 20, 2019)

highwayman said:


> Could you not have a friend get your prescription & mail it out to you. This is a common dilemma & practice among travelers. I routinely pick up scripts for family members (even narcotics), if its a controlled substance I gotta show ID but surprisingly the person prescribed the script doesnt have to be the one actually picking it up. I am unsure how stuff goes in Denver but assume there is always a way to sort this out without a return trip. Lots of people are on meds & often they take extended trips. Usually one needs to get their Doctor to initiate such processes. Often they get authorization from the insurance co who gives the pharmacy the ability to fill like a 3 month supply in advance. Many insurance companies & Pharmacists just need the doc to start the process so I would just tell your Doc your plans & get them on board. Instead of being at risk of running out I would just communicate how you live & travel with your Doctor & see if they will accommodate the request.



That’s something I never even considered holy shit thank you!

As for the bureaucratic bullshit I’m sorry y’all heave to deal with that. Lucky for me, Colorado is what’s called an “informed consent” state so I just went into planned parenthood, they asked if I knew the risks involved with taking HRT, I answered yes and a few more questions, and I got to pick up my first prescription that day.


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## BusGypsy (Jan 20, 2019)

FiresAndFlowers said:


> That’s something I never even considered holy shit thank you!
> 
> As for the bureaucratic bullshit I’m sorry y’all heave to deal with that. Lucky for me, Colorado is what’s called an “informed consent” state so I just went into planned parenthood, they asked if I knew the risks involved with taking HRT, I answered yes and a few more questions, and I got to pick up my first prescription that day.



Wow, just like that? I've used Planned Parenthood but didn't know they provide HRT. Neat. I love PP. I used to go to them for the pill and spare rubbers!


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## DeadTreeMississippi (May 15, 2019)

Is there any way to change your prescription pick-up site? I'm ftm, haven't hit the road yet but plan to. Right now my doc gave me a 6-month supply script (sweetness!!). I've moved a few times across the city and have changed my pharmacy pick-site each time. They're pretty cool with it--I just give them a call and yeah it takes a few days while the doc puts in the new location but it's fairly painless, all things considered. I go through PP, pay out of pocket. I don't know how it would work changing to an out-of-state pharmacy, but I feel like it wouldn't be too bad...haven't tried it yet though.


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## deleted24783 (May 15, 2019)

I recently found out about

https://lgbtmap.org/
And i will be using that website along with others to determine where I can continue my hrt on state health insurance without being around legal recreational marijuana

Some personal advice I found significant: if you are mtf trans and taking hrt, if you smoke weed it will prevent your estrogen level from getting anywhere. Weed was habitual for me, but once I found out that my estrogen was only 60 when it was supposed to be at 200-300 and that it’s more likely than not because of cannabis consumption, I was shocked and dismayed at hindering the progress of my own transition.

So I want to be away from weed forever and just let my estrogen and the goddess work with me. Coming out saved my life and reduced my suicidal thoughts and feelings by >95%, hrt made me stop having nightmares (all of that I’ve suffered from since childhood) so I don’t want cannabis suppressing my dreams or estrogen anymore.

I am going to be comparing the map of states that offer HRt on state insurance To a map of cannabis legality and focus on states that help with HRT but don’t allow recreational weed

I’d like to be involved in more progressive discussion here such as this 😁 thank for starting this thread


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## scutellaria (May 16, 2019)

yeah get someone to pick up the scriot and mail it. also depending on your insurance, some chain pharmacies will fill your script wherever. i had my scripts filled in oregon when i was on medi-cal. also theres always inhouse pharmacy, a grey market site where u can buy hrt much chesper than label price. thats where i buy my injectable p. also note: if youre travellig w a vial of e, keep it deep in your pack and keep your pack in the shade as much as possible. high temps during the summer will rapidly degrade estradiol and cold isnt necessarily bad but it can cause the estradiol to crystallize, thus come out of solution and then when you go to pull your shot, you only get the medium snd no e until it reintegrated.


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## scutellaria (May 16, 2019)

all you trans girls who are new to travelling, please feel free to pm me with quedtions snd ill donmy best to get back to you. ive been travelling for a while now, have lived sll over the country and have learned a thing or two. i also have advocated for myself a lot in terms of heslthcare snd learned a lot about proper hrt (shit doctors dont care to know because they dont give any shit about anything but wpath)


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## scutellaria (May 16, 2019)

hands down best place to establish medical care is portland. i had the most competent hrt orescribing doctor, free hrt, got a free orchie in like 6 months, and the healthcare is just off the chain


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## DeadTreeMississippi (May 16, 2019)

I didn't even think about temp effects on meds on the road. I'll havta look up if T is the same way; probably best to take the same precautions anyway just in case.
I know the thread and replies are geared towards the ladies but they're helping me as well, so thank you everyone who's contributing


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## scutellaria (May 16, 2019)

zielum said:


> I didn't even think about temp effects on meds on the road. I'll havta look up if T is the same way; probably best to take the same precautions anyway just in case.
> I know the thread and replies are geared towards the ladies but they're helping me as well, so thank you everyone who's contributing


it does also apply to t. theyre made in the same solutions. usually some type of alcohol (i think its usually benzyl) and then a very thick oil.
what i do is usually keep my vial, in the box with all the thick instruction pad thingys and maybe some toilet paper or injection supply wrappers for padding, then wrap it in some of my extra clothes or something and put it likeway in the niddle of all my shit in my pack and just never leave my hear in the sun. it usually will take quite a while for the whole inside of my pack to actually get hot enough to damage the vial. and when on trains i just do ymmbest to find a little shade even if im shifting my bag every couple hours or throw a layer over it or whatever i gotta do


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## scutellaria (May 16, 2019)

also in regards to medical care, california actually has the best medicaid for trans people. i know for trans women, its the only place (maybe theres one other state but indont think so) you can get hair removal covered on medicaid.
and have heard that new mexico is another one of the best places for medicaid from other disabled folks i kno but i dunno nm well at all.


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## Honey Crust (May 16, 2019)

Holy heck, I’m so happy this thread is gaining some traction again! Thank you all for your input, these are valuable insights for us travelin trans folk, and I know for sure that I’ve learned a bunch just from going through this over the past couple days.


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## scutellaria (May 16, 2019)

also wondering if everyone is aware of the severely overstated/in many cases lack of need for anti-androgens with proper prescribing of estradiol. the wpath, the standard most doctors use, isbwhere we get the regimen of heavy spiro, light estradiol. this is sctually really harmful and is also the least effective way to take hrt. estradiol is, in most all cases, able to adequately suppress testosterone on its own.

and should you need an aa to supplement, there is bicalutamide, which is far more effective in terms of antiadrogenic mechanism than spiro, wayyyyyyyyyyyyy less toxic and has an effective period of several days compared to spiros 8-12 hrs. and supplement that with micronized/bioidentical progesterone, youre solid. most effective forms of estradiol: intramusculsr, subcutaneous, gel, patch, sublingual (not oral) - in that order. dont ever let your doctor tell you there are no options! educate yourselves snd advocate! bring friends with you to deal with difficult prescribers!

also not taking aa's means less prescriptions to fill while travellingg and if you are able to take injectables, even less. i only need to fill my script once every few months.

also if you take oral estradiol, do not swallow the pill. you should dissolve it under your tongue for ~30 mins, do not swallow and spit out whats left. the pill and coating are very toxic. this is where doctors get the myths that estradiol leads to cardiovascular difficulties. because theyre fucking idiots and because medicalized transmisogyny. 

its the pill and coating that lead to dvt and heart/corculation conplications. there is no proof that estradiol administered to trans women has any more health risks that for cis women. hence medicalized transmisogyny.


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## scutellaria (May 16, 2019)

if anybody wants more resourced for hrt info and research, feel free to pm me.


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## ByronMc (May 17, 2019)

Thanks on the info about how weed may block, your levels!
Are they back up & am guessing you had blood tests to figure it out, huh?


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## hornedplant (May 23, 2019)

seconding California medicaid as being great for trans health care
several friends got GRS covered via it, some others got FFS covered
iirc in cali anything "medically necessary" to treat gender dysphoria (arbitrary and usually means anything that could make you feel less dysphoric) is covered and insurance plans in cali are required to cover them by state law


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## hornedplant (May 23, 2019)

if you go to a pharmacy chain for filling your hormones, you should be able to change which store you get it dispensed from fairly easily.
though it could be worthwhile to have them fill it in the next town you're going to be in so it'll be ready before you leave that town

I think she just lucked out, but one time our GF at the time called kaiser the day of and got her hormones filed less than an hour later, but pharmacies vary and another GF had delays at the same location a different time and thats where she always picks up her meds


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## hornedplant (May 23, 2019)

to add to the info on HRT,
Dr. Deutsch has a guide on dosing/etc online at
http://transhealth.ucsf.edu/trans?page=guidelines-feminizing-therapyhttp://transhealth.ucsf.edu/trans?page=guidelines-masculinizing-therapy
for people who're gonna be taking estrogen, its good to start your dose low and slowly ramp it up,
starting your dose real high can cause your breast buds to fuse and keep your boobs from growing as big as they would otherwise

again specific to estrogen-based HRT, but so much of the medical worry about estrogen is sorta based off of studies done back when we were using horse piss as a source of estrogen, and the whole increased risk of breast cancer thing is just… having (more) boob mass means you've got more boob to get that, but its not gonna much greater risk than if you'd grown boobs at first puberty

I'd definately heard about people finding smoking cigs kept their e2 levels down and i wonder if its just any smoke that messes with your levels regardless of what you're smoking


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## hornedplant (May 23, 2019)

also there's is cool experimental thing about using selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) in HRT to get a sorta middle line between masculinizing and feminizing HRT
gonna be a bit harder to get a doctor to prescribe them, but they can be ordered online from your overseas pharmacy of choice
there is a some concern is they could be genotoxic, so do your research first
know one person who was interested in trying them, don't think they've started taking them yet (they're just doing E2 first are going to pontentially add in SERMs later depending on how they feel about breast growth, etc)


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## LoisLane23 (May 23, 2019)

Thank y'all for this thread. My 14-year-old son is trans and we live in a conservative state so I haven't even taken him to a doctor yet for hormones or anything. He was born a female and is well-endowed (wears a binder but it's still kinda obvious). We're in a state that borders Oregon though, so maybe we'll head that way. Thanks again.


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## Lotus Shaped Potato (Jun 27, 2019)

Had anyone who gets HRT through Planned Parenthood been able to travel to different PP clinics in different states and still be “in the system” such that it’s a short checkup to get a new script?

I’ve never been to PP so I don’t know how it works. So if someone could also explain that I’d appreciate it.


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## scutellaria (Jun 27, 2019)

Lotus Shaped Potato said:


> Had anyone who gets HRT through Planned Parenthood been able to travel to different PP clinics in different states and still be “in the system” such that it’s a short checkup to get a new script?
> 
> I’ve never been to PP so I don’t know how it works. So if someone could also explain that I’d appreciate it.



theyre all managed by like different regional groups, kinda like franchises. ive always had to start over at different pp's, but its incredibly simple and quick. i get a script at the initial appointment. just tell them youre already on hrt and have been prescribed at another pp clinic.

however, maybe you already know this, but not every pp does hrt. so make sure ahead of time the clinic you wanna go to has an hrt/trans health program so you can plan accordingly.


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## Lotus Shaped Potato (Jun 27, 2019)

@scutellaria 
Hm. Follow up, related somewhat, do you know methods for getting hormones with little or exactly no money and no insurance? Are there any groups in the US that enable this?


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## scutellaria (Jun 27, 2019)

Lotus Shaped Potato said:


> @scutellaria
> Hm. Follow up, related somewhat, do you know methods for getting hormones with little or exactly no money and no insurance? Are there any groups in the US that enable this?


hmmm i think maybe st james infirmary in sf buit im not sure that they actually can pay for your scripts. they primarily focus on sex workers but i think will help any trans people that come in. is there a reason you cant get on medicaid? what state are you in? have you tried fenway in boston? the only way i know how to get them without insurance is to buy online on the grey web. thats how i get my injectable p. but without insurance or money i dunno how many options there are. but with medicaid ive never paid more than a dollar for a vial of e.


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## Lotus Shaped Potato (Jun 28, 2019)

scutellaria said:


> is there a reason you cant get on medicaid? what state are you in? have you tried fenway in boston?


I'm currently on insurance so this isn't a right now issue as much as it could be an issue and as someone who's post op, staying on hormones is important for a broader range of functioning.

I know Fenway and I think they do provide free care if you can't afford it.


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## scutellaria (Jun 28, 2019)

Lotus Shaped Potato said:


> I'm currently on insurance so this isn't a right now issue as much as it could be an issue and as someone who's post op, staying on hormones is important for a broader range of functioning.
> 
> I know Fenway and I think they do provide free care if you can't afford it.


i feel you i had an orchie last year so i will fuckin cut a bitch for my estradiol (kidding)


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## hornedplant (Jul 3, 2019)

when we were with PP, after we got our perscription
we didn't have to visit the clinic again
and were able to get blood tests done at the closer clinic that didn't offer HRT (yet)
lotta over the phone talking about test results / etc


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## roamingsnake (Jun 2, 2020)

A few things:

1. If you're in Philly, there's a place called Mazzoni Center that does free care (including all appointments for medical) for young adults from 17-24, and a sliding scale that's pretty decent for anyone older. However, they tend to have very long waiting lists and you'll have to do a psych eval and medical I take (they're really nice though, it's not like a test or anything). I've been with them for 3+ years and they have a program that cuts costs for hormones if you're uninsured. 

2. Has anyone had trouble on the road with carrying around needles? I'm FtM and take my T SubQ, and I know cops sometimes ask if you have dirty needles. Of course I'd keep the prescription with me, but wasn't sure if anyone had run into any issues. 
-->Also, dirty needle disposal. Some bathrooms in certain cities seem to have units, but otherwise I'd be carrying them around. I already have a decent way to hold them, but if anyone has any tips for disposal locations that would be awesome. 

Thanks! I'll be poking around on other threads too, but if this one isn't active I'll try to start a new one if it's not a problem. 

Thanks for all the input!


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