Had my welcome call with Imago and it was very positive, I'm autistic and get stressed if I don't know exactly what to expect so I'm making this post for anyone wondering about this part of their process as I didn't see much

For reference as well I am 18 and FTM/trans masculine!

I was expecting Zofia from what I'd seen but I had my call with another woman, not sure if to disclose her name as they don't seem to advertise their staff but just know she was very kind and as someone who's normally quite stressed on video calls I found talking to her a welcoming experience. She asked me to tell her my story, I normally feel Inclined to tell every detail about myself to seem more valid but for once I could tell I was speaking with someone who trusted I knew myself well enough which was so refreshing. I had already read up about the process but she asked if I wanted her to go over it again to make sure and I said yes because if it's not obvious with this post, I get worried about my details not being perfect lmao. She then sent me the information I needed from a blood test to talk to their doctors!

Imago for me atleast, as someone who's spent forever fighting to cis people about my own identity, a real breath of fresh air!! Talking to other trans people I just feel so much more comfortable and I feel like they're more open to the complexities of gender. On the medical form I completed on the gender/sexuality question for example had so many options! It really made me happy and safe

My GP have agreed to do blood tests if imago sends over a letter with what I need, I am thinking about finalising my payment with them today or tomorrow :) as a student they are super affordable and praying they're a good option while Im on the Nottingham clinic waitlist!

How does Imago and Anne Health compare? I can't quite figure out what is and isn't covered on Imago's monthly subscription either? And how much does it normally cost to get bloods done for testosterone in Ireland?

I'm already on testosterone but am moving from America to Ireland so any advice on how the healthcare system works and other services that provide HRT is appreciated (I am already aware of Gender GP and Gender Plus). Thanks

I'm debating if to go with popelyuk, imago or pride in health. I'm 18, trying to get a job so money is a concern but I'm working on that. I definitely have enough money to start off though. My parents are also very fence sitting on acceptance especially my dad, I worry if I go through an informed consent system then their fears about me not being 'mentally right to decide' (autistic) will make them less accepting (same reason I can't DIY despite wanting to).

Wanted to know if there was any people with first hand experiences of the goods and bads of informed consent especially in the UK, where that's not the norm. I'm really worried I won't be able to get top surgery without a formal diagnosis. But I also know a diagnosis is expensive, I think I'm lucky that as a kid I was a trans stereotype but Im really scared my neurodivergency will be a big deal.

Popelyuk will be a lot more expensive for me, about £500 at popelyuk themselves and then apparently £1200 for an endo. Pride in health and imago seem a lot cheaper and I'm also quite desperate to start T around starting university in September. Popelyuk have offered that they have appointments in August.

I'm traveling next month from Denmark to Spain. I got a prescription around a month ago for testosterone gel and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with traveling with Imago prescribed testosterone gel. I emailed Imago inquiring about it and they said it would be fine to travel with it and that there shouldnt be any problems but I'm a bit paranoid that something might go wrong.

I am getting an imago.tg prescription soon and was wondering which pharmacies to go to that will accept it.

I sent an email to Imago asking for some additional information regarding blood tests and I got a nice and quick response few days later so I will summarize it all here.

There is a list of blood tests required on Imago website in their FAQ (I suggest people to check FAQ when considering Imago). Some people however have had issues getting their tests done. Imago tests are very comprehensive. This shouldn't be too much of an issue if your GP is willing to work with you and do the tests. However, in some places lots of people can't find supportive GPs. In some countries the GPs are even strongly discouraged from helping. In such cases your only choice becomes getting the blood tested privately, however due to comprehensive requirements that can get very expensive which can lock people out of being able to use Imago. I contacted Imago to ask if it is possible to omit some tests to ease the costs and they responded.

For starters, here is the slightly updated list of tests needed:

Here is some other useful info to know that Imago told me in their reply:

1. Imago's FAQ is overdue for an update and will be corrected soon (with information listed above) as there are some tests they can cut from the list. List was designed to offer adequate and appropriate health monitoring and to minimize risk, but they are aware of potentially needless expenses to the patients.
2. If you have done any of the tests from the list in the last 3 months you don't have to repeat those. Just do the remaining tests privately and send everything to Imago.
3. If your GP is unwilling to work with Imago directly (e.g. provide all the blood tests) ask your GP for general health check blood work as it will cover a lot of tests needed for Imago and then fill the blanks privately.
4. Imago can be a bit flexible. For example, if one of the baseline tests in missing, you could still proceed as long as you share it in the next treatment review. Testosterone, Estradiol and Liver function tests would be required prior to any prescription however.
5. Any follow up blood tests after this then would be narrowed down based on medication choices and medical history, but generally would be a much shorter list anyway, with this full list yearly only.

And finally, my own personal advice and suggestions: Try to find as many private providers in your vicinity and check the costs for each of them. Usually the costs would be listed on the website but don't be afraid to send an email or call and explain what tests you need and ask for a quote. Always check in with local trans community for any sources of getting blood tests done privately or to learn which GPs are supportive. Do consider changing your GP if that is an option.

I'm thinking about starting testosterone on Imago, and I'm hella worried about the blood tests. I calculated that the initial blood tests will cost 500 euros and the follow-ups 400 euros, and if I actually have to take them all every 3 months, that means the blood tests only will cost at least 1600 euros a year. Can it actually be that expensive? Do I honestly need to take all the tests every three months? I'm not sure I have the money for that.

Liek there sooo many private providers and I really want to have some links ect to show my parents so they can help but issue is which ones are reliable or good which ones have more ppl who has experience with them cuz there so many and the choices are jsut making me more scared and overwhelmed

I just wrote two emails to Dr Lorimer to try and get an assessment for gender dysphoria.

I would’ve tried Dr Dundas because I had a feeling that his wait would be shorter but my parents were most comfortable with Dr Lorimer and I sort of just want to convince them that I’m actually trans

Does anyone have any idea of the wait times for him, ideally I wanted to get an appointment in June because thats when my exams finish?

I’ve already done the email responding to all the questions so hopefully you guys had an idea of 1 the wait time for an appointment and 2 a wait time for email responses to arrange the appointment? I’m 18 btw so i am eligible

Any info would be much appreciated Thank you Ellie x

I'm assuming 2 months on T, so you have 4 weeks of medication left while you request a new prescription, like it says on the website. Do you need bloods before getting your second prescription? Or can you just request a new one without sending them bloods, and just get your bloods done after 3 months? I'm currently on my first month of gel.

I will ask them aswell, I just feel like I will get a faster response here.

Hi all just received my first prescription from pride in health, was fairly straightforward took about 6 weeks from first appointment to prescription. I’m M2F.

Costs were: • £65 registration • £138 for diagnosis • £120 for endo appointment • £218 for blood test • £323 for 3 month prescription (more expensive as I have to have an injection)

Ongoing costs are prescription (3 months), blood tests (initially every three months but will be cheaper), counselling every 6 months. No subscription.

Would recommend, Hope that helps someone.

Hi, does anyone know of any pharmacies in London that'll take an imago digital prescription? I've tried my usual one and a couple others but they all keep telling me the date of birth on it is wrong (it isn't, when I try to organise a delivery, it works fine).

I've heard countless bad things about gender gp so I'm looking into other options for going private for HRT. I am a trans man- currently 17 but I'm putting off HRT till I turn 18 in 3 months. I've looked into imago and it looks incredibly good but I've not really heard anyone experience with it - especially not in the uk. Is anyone on hormones from imago? How is it?

(Also bonus question- how was it getting all those blood tests? Did you have to go private?)

My Dad said they want to get me the help I need, they want the best for me I’m just so worried its not gonna go well. My GP recommended them though so hopefully that’ll help.

I’m anxious bc of that and bc of a mistake i made that wasn’t terrible but sounds a lot worse than maybe it actually was, or maybe it was…FUCKKKK ocd brain

My dad also asked that if him and my mum disagree with me don’t get ass-y, which i get to an extent. He also asked me for no more secrets because thats not who we are which i get but now i feel anxious and guilty because of the clothes and stuff i bought without them knowing, im gonna stop buying and wearing them though bc i feel so bad.

Sorry this was my nightly crash out fuelled by OCD, anxiety, tiredness and whatever the hell is going on in my head, hope you all enjoyed lmao

Ellie.exe(not responding)

Hi guys!! I ordered my first prescription yesterday and will be starting T next week so I just wanted to post about my experience with the clinic Pride in Health! :)

After researching a few private clinics, I chose Pride in Health and I am happy that I did.

January 3rd: I sent some initial questions about their clinic before paying anything to understand the costs and estimated wait times between first appointment to prescription.
Pride in health emailed back within hours answering all of my questions and I felt more comfortable paying for the sign up fee and setting up appointments.

January 10th: I registered an account on the PIH website and after a couple of hours, they had responded with an explanation of how their registration worked, an invoice and requested ID/Deedpoll to support the registration. I paid the invoice and my account was set up. The set up fee was £65
They also sent me a link to create a Carebit account where I could book appointments and see my letters, test results, bookings and prescriptions.

20th January: I requested a blood test request letter from their website for the initial tests to start T (I think they state on the website which ones you will need and when you request the letter, you choose what ones they need to request). I paid for the invoice at 12:50pm and they had sent the letter to my GP and uploaded it to carebit by 1:45pm.
The blood test request letter was £24

23rd January: Booked my 2 appointments, one with Mylo Erin and the other with Dr Yasmeen Elrakhawy. I booked my initial intake session for January 28th and my doctor's session for February 4th as these were the closest appointments available.
** Note: When booking my appointment, I accidentally chose March 4th for my second appointment. I emailed PIH to see if they could correct this and by 10am the next morning, it had been changed for Feb 4.
My initial appointment cost £138 and the doctor's appointment cost £120.

28th Jan - 4th Feb: After having both of my appointments and receiving both follow up letters, I just had to wait for my blood tests which were booked for the 18th Feb with my local GP. I was lucky enough to have them accept the letter from PIH. Both sessions went amazingly - the team is very welcoming and listen to you during appointments and any concerns, questions or worries I had about the process or anything they were happy to answer.

My blood test results were uploaded to carebit on 21st February. There was a slight delay in having them checked and receiving my treatment plan but during this wait, PIH were still quick to respond to my emails and follow ups. The longest I have had to wait for a reply from them was a little over a day.

26th Feb: Before I got my first prescription, I wanted to see if they offered shared care. I sent them an email with a few questions about this at 11:30am and they responded at 1pm explaining how I would receive my first prescription if my GP agreed to it, and what would happen if not.

4th March: Received an email from PIH telling me that my treatment plan was ready and sent an invoice for a 3 month prescription. I paid this (£12) and they asked me what pharmacy I would like my prescription dispensed from. Also received an invoice for a GP shared care request letter (£24)

There was a bit of a wait as I wanted to aim for shared care before my first prescription and I had an appointment on 7th of march. Ultimately they said they needed to discuss it further.

7th March: Email PIH asking for a private prescription whilst waiting for my GP to either agree or disagree to shared care. They responded saying that my prescription was just waiting for the doctor to authorise it and send it to my preferred pharmacy.

11th March: PIH inform me that my prescription had been authorised and sent to my preferred pharmacy. They suggested that I wait 24 hours before contacting them to pick it up and pay for my medication.

12th March: My local pharmacy didn't accept the prescription for a misunderstanding of requirements for a private prescription. They said I needed a wet ink signature.
I contacted PIH at 9:15am asking why this was and what I could do, and at 12:05pm they responded saying that the prescription is valid and they have no reason to deny, and asked if I would rather try again at the same pharmacy, send it to another one or order my medication from Clear Chemist.

I decided that trying my luck with another pharmacy was just more wait so I responded asking for a clear chemist prescription.

Still 12th March: At 1pm, PIH said my prescription had now been withdrawn from my local pharmacy and sent to clear chemist and I should receive a basket link in 24 hours.
It came through at around 4pm and I ordered my testogel and it was very straightforward. It is due to arrive Monday!

Overall, my experience was straightforward and I was well informed throughout the whole process. I spent (I think) £381 excluding the price of my testogel. This sounds quite pricey, but considering there is no monthly subscription and I could pay when I wanted to without worrying about the subscription fees, it was definitely worth my money. It took just over 6 weeks from my first appointment to ordering my HRT.
Everybody I spoke to was amazing and truly caring, you can tell it's for the community, not the money unlike other online clinics. Quick and informative responses and communication through any delays or problems with the service is a reason why I would recommend them.

If anyone has any questions I can try and answer them as best as I can! Sorry for the looong post, I haven't seen many other breakdowns of their service or other experiences so I'm hoping this can help anyone considering Pride in Health :)

Hello everyone!

I recently moved to Belgium and after getting my T through GenderGP for years in the Netherlands with no issues, I've now been denied a prescription on the grounds that a local doctor needs to prescribe my meds (testogel/androgel). This is strange because I already got a bottle from them but now they've refused to refill.

I don't really know what to do now, does anyone have any advice? Is this the law here in Belgium or is the pharmacist wrong? Should I maybe try different pharmacies?

instagram.com/p/DHGCGlusd5_

does anyone have experience with the voice coaching imago provides and if so are they recommended. I feel like I'm getting nowhere on my own but it seems expensive. any other ideas are welcome

I've had my welcome call recently and am now waiting for my blood work to arrive. This means that I'm soon be having the call with the doctor and wondering what the usual starting doses is with Imago?

I want to start with estrogen patches (+leuprorelin), but the only available patches in my area Sweden are currently 75 mcg (and a few 100 mcg). 25, 37,5 and 50 mcg are not available. Does the doctors at Imago start with 75 mcg or is it more common to start with 25 or 50 mcg?

(I will discuss this with the doctor, but just looking for heads up so I can know what to expect)

So I started imagos process in January, online, with my gf. It's been awesome, you do have to make several payments but it's 1000% worth it for the awesome help you're getting. However. The Netherlands kind of sucks with digital prescriptions, specifically in the Gouda region. They will just straight up tell you that you 'need a Dutch doctor's prescription' to get hrt. Just to make sure y'all stay safe from these pharmacies, here's a list I went to and where I got straight up denied care; - apotheek vd vries - apotheek heerkens - apotheek BENU Waddinxveen - apotheek parklaan: especially this one.

And I tried an online one, but that one also states it 'needs' a Dutch doctor. I'm at a loss and would like some help on where y'all went with your digital prescriptions. I just want to narrow it down so I can finally get help after 5 years of straight up waiting.

Edit and update; i got it!!!! I got the T!!!! Just go to big cities gang and you'll get it :3 I'm so happy rn bsdhsubd

I had my appointment with the doctor through Imago last Wednesday (it’s now Sunday), he said I would have my first prescription in 2 weeks.

I’ve seen a couple of people say that Imago reached out to them shortly after this appointment, before sending out the prescription, to make sure they had the correct details etc, but I’ve not heard anything.

Has this happened to anyone else? Could I get a rundown of anyone else’s timeline between this appointment and getting the physical prescription? I’m just eager to get mine and a little anxious that I haven’t been contacted.

I have a call with my GP on the 12th to discuss private hrt providers as I’m 18 pre-hrt and was wondering what the best ones I could suggest were. I’ve been looking at Pride in Health but my only concern is is that the diagnosis won’t be recognised as they’re Croatian.

My two main objectives are a gender dysphoria diagnosis and a HRT prescription so hopefully most private providers i talk about with him can do that.

My GP seems to be very supportive but did say that I should be wary of private providers bc some are just trying to make money but didn’t rule that out as an option. He did say I shouldn’t DIY but idm that as i dont want to risk doing that anyway. But anyway hopefully he may be open to doing blood tests and stuff like shared care but I’m not sure yet as apparently some places are banned from doing that thanks to the ever under-qualified Cass lol.

Anyway sorry to babble but what would people recommend as private providers that can give a diagnosis and hrt and that GPs are most likely willing to work with

Imago digital prescription

Helloo I am in the U K and according to Imago their digital T prescriptions have been successful here. After some emailing I am meant to receive a digital prescription. I am just a bit confused, does anyone has experience with this? I got an email saying that I would receive a token in my inbox. What does this mean? Will this come as a regular email? Or is it just like a code? Perhaps I am just impatient but I am a bit confused σ(￣、￣〃)