My name is Esme and I’ve been socially transitioning for 4 years from Male to Female. Last year, I started my medical transition, sourcing HrT through GenderGP.

Over the months, their services have

become increasingly unreliable and the NHS are unwilling to help me alongside. I cannot afford to pay hundreds of pounds for blood tests (which are essential in making sure I am safe and healthy, but also that the medication is working effectively, which it has not) and the NHS waiting list for gender services is abhorrently long and NHS GPs have refused to help with blood tests or medical costs as GenderGP is a European association.

all of the services within GenderGP are automated and you have to pay to speak to advisors, while also paying a monthly £35 as a subscription and separately paying for medication I only get every 3 months (also extremely expensive as it is provided by third party vendors).

I’ve been working over most weekends to try and save for the cause, but without reliable hours, college taking up my week and having to pay to feed myself at college along with pursuing other parts of my transition, the funds have been coming in slow.

As all of these problems have accumulated, I have decided that I need change for my life to continue peacefully. In the height of my studies and the preparation for my move to University in London, these issues are giving me extreme discomfort in my financial situation. I’ve needed financial aid from my parents in order to keep the subscriptions and medication going but with the extra costs of changing my passport and getting blood tests, I feel that I can’t keep going like this, and have come to the conclusion that I would like to transfer myself to a different organisation.

The Gender Hormone Clinic in London is a much more reliable option for me, as recommended by other experienced trans people in my life. Their setup fee is £250 pounds and their monthly subscription costs £55 pounds, but this cost includes all blood tests, prescriptions, real face-to-face consultations and checkups, and will be lowered to £40 per month after the first year of treatment. This means that I won’t need to accumulate hundreds of pounds for blood tests and letters while living in London.

The only problem I face right now is that I need an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria to start treatment with The Gender Hormone Clinic. GenderGP don’t require them to give treatment and the NHS waiting list is extremely unrealistic. Assessments usually start between £250 to £500 which is completely out of my current range and is the biggest thing holding me back from my transfer. If I were able to overcome the diagnosis cost and the setup fee, I’d be able to support myself in continuing my healthcare with a much safer and more reliable organisation.

Overall, the funds will go towards:

-Overcoming diagnosis fees.

-Setting up with The Gender Hormone Clinic.

-Paying for letters from doctors to verify name and identity changes on legal forms and ID forms.

-Applying for a new passport under my correct Identity.

-Eventually obtaining a GRC (Gender Recognition Certificate)

I would be so extremely grateful if anyone would be able to help me reach my goal and overcome this huge barrier which is looming over my life right now. Donating to and sharing my story are all going to be appreciated equally.

Thank you to those who have taken the time read my story.

<3