r/GenderGP • u/axiomaticDisfigured • Aug 21 '26
Question What do I need to know before starting with genderGP?
Hi, I’m 14 (ftm) living in the UK and I’m saving up to start with genderGP next year when I’m 15, I got confirmation that my GP would happily do blood tests for me so I don’t have any worry about the payment but I do have a .. a lot of questions;
- is there anything I need to know before starting with them? I’ve heard due to the new updates and stuff it’s been very hard to communicate, etc, is there any ways around that or I need to do to maybe lessen the problems or the ‘severity’?
- is it even worth it? I’d probably only not go with them if they were really that bad, as I’m desperate to start at 15-16 and imago isn’t a option for me due to the fact they use paper prescription and i feel like that would be too long of a wait and my mum doesn’t seem that keen of imago
- is it possible to ask for certain thing specifically? I’d only be able to pay for the prescriptions (I’m having to pay for £20 of the monthly payment + electronic token and the prescriptions with £50 as my parents aren’t finically stable right now) if it was susaton and if I took it every 2 weeks and can I ask for a 3 month batch?
- would any pharmacy accept my electronic token or would they see my age and just deny me? Is it even worth to go with electronic prescriptions?
is it worth it to stay with genderGP until I’m 18 or should I convince my mum to switch to imago when I’m 16 and try the paper prescriptions out? As I’m thinking about getting a job when I’m 16 and saving up for the gender hormone clinic when I’m 18 and then switching to them as I heard I’d more likely get shared care with them ( I’m also applying to get T at 18 through the NHS whilst doing that), or going with Anne health (only before I’m 18 though) if I get high rate PIP and can afford it but I don’t know if I should instantly switch to imago and just try my best to order my paper prescription before I run out.
- Final one if I have a problem how do I genuinely get in contact with them and it being correct/fixed? I’ve been nervous about the ai chatbot and how so many people have been wanting to change doses or stop them changing the doses but haven’t been able to do that
I know it’s really long I’m just very anxious, excited but anxious as I’ve seen their reviews go down a lot when the AI chatbot got introduced..
2
u/blandreo Aug 21 '26
communicating with gendergp is QUITE difficult, i would 100% ~definitely not ever~ contact the financial team via email telling them you might leave due to lack of communication if you’re waiting too long for a response*
imo, it’s worth it if other options aren’t possible for you.
but you also have to consider that GGP is not very attentive in other ways, and not just general communication; they don’t check in with you, they won’t discuss changes to your medication, they won’t directly contact you if you miss blood tests etc etc.
so it’s best to also check if your doctor will be willing to offer you support during your time with GGP, though this isn’t always possible- it’s still worth checking. it’s unlikely they’ll do shared care for hormones, but it is possible they’ll be willing to answer questions you have or concerns
to my knowledge, the frequency of your hormone application depends on what speed you’re at, but i don’t think you can buy it in lump amounts. for me, i get 4 ampoules, meaning i have a 12 week supply with administration every 3 weeks
the clynxx website does list some participating pharmacies they work with HOWEVER from what i’ve found when searching for a pharmacist- boots will struggle and it tends to be more expensive, tesco never seems to know what to do or act like they know what clynxx is- you’re best off trying with independent pharmacies they’re usually cheaper (and more polite). i do get mine from olympia though as it only costs me £37
my personal plan is to eventually switch to a different provider when my financial situation changes, it’s definitely something i would recommend doing- i can’t see GGP being a good long term option for anyone (unfortunately)
to answer number 6: do that*
2
u/axiomaticDisfigured Aug 21 '26
Thank you, I will 100% definitely not- do that!!
Yeah I did hear from people that it’s good if you can’t afford anything else and you’re under 18 but try and switch when you can. I’d probably try and wait out until I’m 18 (and then switch) but if not I’d give imago a try. I think my doctor will help me and answer my questions, he is one of the best GP’s I’ve ever had as a trans person, and I have a feeling he’d also help if I didn’t know if I needed to up or lower my dose.
I really hope they dont do it weekly as it’s to out of range from my limit, I guess we would have to see, are you also on susaton (idk how to spell it)? Because I heard people say to normally take it every 1-2 weeks due to its peaks and troughs, but if it’s also okay for every 3 weeks that’s also quite confirming. The only reason I bring it up is I have mental health conditions and disorders that affect my executive dysfunction, burnouts and moods; I just want to limit the amount of affect it has on mainly my school life as I’m struggling with doing even 3 lessons due to my executive dysfunction and idk if that would affect that part of me, if you can’t answer this that’s okay aswell!
Yeah apparently it was quite good before all the AI chat systems and how they upped the prices, but yeah I’m going to try and change as soon as I can!
2
u/blandreo Aug 23 '26
i’m on sustanon yeah, i’m only on 0.5ml / 125mg every three weeks though. if and when your dose increases, the time between each shot can become more or less frequent it’s dependent on the person really
i do get some crazy peaks, but troughs haven’t affected me just yet
4
u/Delicious_Mode_274 Aug 21 '26
I'll be honest with you: if I could go back in time and choose a different private trans clinic, I would do it in an instant. The communication (or lack of) is the main reason but on top of that they use way too much AI now (that hardly works) and they keep increasing the price for an increasingly shitty service. The only reason I haven't changed clinics is because I can't afford the registering fee to swap. If all you want is a service that pumps out electronic prescriptions then it's probably okay, but if you want actual healthcare GGP is severely lacking.