Informed Consent & Telehealth
Historically, accessing HRT required lengthy psychiatric evaluation and gatekeeping. The informed-consent model instead treats you as capable of understanding the risks and benefits and consenting to treatment yourself — much like any other medication.
Medical disclaimer
For educational purposes only; not medical advice.
What "informed consent" means
Under an informed-consent model, a clinician explains the effects, risks, and reversibility of HRT, confirms you understand them, and then prescribes — without requiring a mental health referral or a "real-life test." This dramatically lowers the barrier to starting care.
Telehealth
Telehealth (remote appointments by video or phone, with prescriptions sent to a pharmacy or mailed) has made informed-consent HRT reachable for many people who have no affirming provider nearby. The DIY HRT Directory maintains an Informed-Consent / Telehealth guide describing services and how they work.
If medical access is not possible
In much of the MENA region, neither informed-consent clinics nor affirming telehealth are realistically available, and seeking them can carry personal risk. Where that is the case, people turn to DIY HRT. If you go that route:
- Read the Transfeminine or Transmasculine guide carefully.
- Commit to regular Blood Testing.
- Protect your privacy and safety — see Cryptocurrency for discreet ways to pay for supplies.
Adapted from the DIY HRT Directory and hrt.info.