• BeardedGingerWonder@feddit.uk
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    2 months ago

    I’m curious about the blood tests, like how do you arrange them? I’m on some pills for something at the minute that require frequent blood tests to track and it’s onerous enough through the NHS, can only imagine the hassle of getting specific blood tests organised outside the system.

    • m4xie@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      2 months ago

      I’ve got a friend in the UK that’s doing DIY. After a while, her doctors agreed to do regular blood tests, but won’t interpret them for her.

      I’ve been helping her interpret her levels against published guidelines.

    • LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      2 months ago

      Something like Medichecks is the easiest way for sex hormone blood tests. They mail you a thing, you do the test yourself (finger prick kit) and mail it back - only problem is it costs a small fortune as of late and their kits are more oriented towards cis people. Can be a bit inaccurate but usually okay unless there’s user error (dirty hands or contamination).

      Alternatively if the GP is trans-supportive they may arrange hormonal blood tests for you. There are also LGBT-oriented sexual health clinics (I think only 2 in the country atm) that will do hormonal blood tests for trans people, but they don’t interpret them.