can i somehow secretly go on testosterone?
hi everyone
just fyi, this is mainly just for curiosity because i do want to know what options are available for me once i turn 18 (im 16 rn)
i wanted to go on T for a bit, being still unsure, but since i do plan on enlisting to the australian army once im done with uni i think itd be best for me to start T once im eligible
thing is, i dont know how i can do that without money (assuming i dont have a job anytime soon) or without my parents figuring
unless my options are very limited to the point where i do have to let my parents know?
i just heard that it can be possible to get gender reassignment therapy/treatments if you make a separate medical account(?) from the one you have joined with your parents. again, im not sure, so i do want to hear answers from anyone who may be more knowledgeable than me?
ofc, its not like im in any rush. i just want to know because i am purely curious
Comments
Hi @rivai
I can see that you have already received a few wonderful responses! But as @Stormy-RO said, RO is not a platform for seeking medical advice; but the resources mentioned are very valuable and might be of interest to you! Transhub has been very useful to me as a 22-year-old transmasc person.
I just want to say that around 2 years ago, when I was applying for the Australian Army, I was medically rejected because I was on testosterone; rules might have changed now, but I'm not sure. I do recommend doing your research on them!
I can't really say much about my experience with taking T or the process, etc, because that would conflict with community guidelines, but again, there are lots of resources available!
Have you considered maybe attending a local Headspace centre? Perhaps there you could talk to a professional about your feelings, ask questions about HRT etc.
- Matcha_Toad 🐸🍵💚
hi @Matcha_Toad !
yeah, js by looking at transhub, i can already tell that ill be needing it for the long run. (hehe thanks again @Stormy-RO
also ???? the fact that the australian army rejected you because you were on T doesnt make sense to me. is it because you were in the middle of transitioning, or because of... something else? and js ignore this if i violated another guideline, i reaallly need to take a look at those guidelines again
i havent been able to attend anything aaa i dont know how to access them, whether they be afar or too public and nondiscreet for me to even access them. i really should do my research man
thank you for replying and sharing some knowledge from one trans person to another! :))
The army can reject you for all kinds of medical reasons, so I suggest researching these. I am also not the only one who has had this happen. But yes because I was taking testosterone they declared me medically unfit. I can't give much else information sorry.
You can access headspace online too so maybe you could look into that ☺️
right... i guess i really should look into it. sorry about that!
thank you for taking the time to reply!
Hey @rivai
I think there are schemes to access testosterone for a cheaper price. For one, if you qualify for a low-income health care card, the prescription is around $7 for each injection. Each injection last around 10-12+ weeks depending on how your body processes it. The biggest cost is the endocrinology and psychiatric appointments. There are a few bulk billing endocrinologists but there tend not to be bulk billing psychiatrists.
In terms of your parents figuring it out, there are changes with testosterone that are pretty obvious. For example, your voice will drop noticeably after a few months. Most of the treatment rebates go through Medicare so if you have a separate Medicare account it is possible to get treatments without them knowing. However, if your parents are unsupportive, I can only really recommend starting testosterone when you are independent. It’s very hard to take testosterone stealthily.
hi @Lapis_Anteater !!
this is the reply im looking for. i thank everything and everyone who has brought me to see this.
thank you THANK YOU for answering my questions. it sounds like low-income health care cards are the way to go along with saving up for the endocrinology/psychiatric appointments. medicare doesnt sound like much of a problem, but i can only pray that i am right. hopefully things wont change until then.
parents... are a whole different thing. i cant be 'independent' because my parents want me to live with them until i get married. of course this can be changed, but what are the chances???? with the economy being like this, i doubt ill be able to buy a home of my own. plus, they dont want me to go to a dorm in uni so, no escape there either.
Hey @rivai,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this. From what I notice, you are eager to join the Australian army and I thank you for your efforts to our beautiful country in your plans to serve in the near future.
Correct me if I am misunderstanding, but I take it you want to go on testosterone for more muscle growth and strength? Like @Stormy-RO mentioned, it is perhaps a good and safe idea to get some medical advice as there are some health downsides to taking test . May I suggest, given strength is really important to you (which is fully understandable) because you have around 2 years before being eligible for the army, maybe give yourself a few months to go to the gym regularly, take some protein and other supplements and see how your progress is for, lets say, 6 months.
Creatine has shown to be a really effective supplement in improving muscle strength, endurance and growth and can also be really effective in a short amount of time. A routine gym workout + creatine and protein is really good for results. I hope this helps with your thoughts and ideas!
hi @Beach_enjoyer2101 !
thank you for your response!
you hit the bullseye with me wanting testosterone for more strength besides being personally unhappy with my own gender. i cannot thank you more for your advice as it gave me at least some answers that i needed to rest my mind.
That is so good to hear that you can get some answers to your thoughts and questions. Once again thank you for your plans to serve our country. I'm wishing nothing but peace and love for you and any questions you might have in the future pls feel free and say hello 👋!
Hey @rivai
It's nice to see you back on the community 😀 I just wanted to let you know that in line with our Community Guidelines we aren't a platform for seeking medical advice.
It sounds like you might benefit from getting some more specific information though, so I wanted to point you in the direction of Transhub which has information on social, medical and legal gender affirmation. You may find this article particularly helpful as it discusses accessing hormones if you're under 18. We also had an event with an LGBTQIA+ friendly GP a while back who speaks a little bit about having these conversations with a doctor.
I hope this helps!
hi @Stormy-RO
oh! my bad 😅
thank you so much for sharing some information that can help me. i took a look and i got at least some of my concerns addressed.
how do i get notified for these events? i want to be able to partake/listen to these events in the future.
Hi @rivai!
It's great to see that you've checked out the resources that @Stormy-RO has shared and that it has addressed some of your concerns!
The events such as AMAA: LGBTQIA+ friendly GP happen monthly and we normally make an earlier post so that everyone can pop in any questions they may have on the topic.
If you'd like to get notified for these events, you can follow the 'Ask me almost anything' space!
