Kira Herdman

So, this week marks the 8th month of my HRT journey. I recently received my 3 monthly blood test results, and here they are:

• Estrogen: 463
• Testosterone: 16.7

I’ve been maintaining the same dosage of 3mg Estradiol and 5mg Finasteride as before. Notably, my estrogen levels have increased while my testosterone levels have decreased, which aligns perfectly with my expectations as a transgender woman.

GenderGP, the service I use to obtain my HRT from due to the excessively long NHS waiting times, appears to be improving. It took only two hours for them to receive my blood tests and promptly email me recommendations for forwarding to my doctor.

Over the past month, I’ve noticed several subtle changes. My chest has grown and is now experiencing more discomfort, which is a positive sign. I believe my skin has become softer, and I’ve noticed the cold more frequently this winter compared to last year, particularly during the early part of this month.

Body hair growth has slowed down significantly, and I no longer experience morning erections as I did before starting HRT. Additionally, my overall interest in sex has diminished.

Let’s discuss the waiting times for the NHS gender service. I’m currently with Leeds GIS. When I registered with the service in 2020, the website indicated that the waiting times were July 2019. As I was writing this blog post, the waiting times, according to the website, still remain July 2019. In the past four and a half years, I’ve been on the waiting list, and it hasn’t moved at all. In fact, when I joined, there were approximately 5,000 people waiting to be seen, and now there are 6,174.

I understand that our current Labour Government appears to be disregarding the well-being of the transgender community, and the Conservatives certainly did. However, this situation is unacceptable. We are still citizens of the United Kingdom, we pay our taxes, and some of us, like myself, have served in the Armed Forces. We expect to be treated like everyone else in this country with an NHS that is fit for purpose. These extended waiting times not only cause stress but can also force some individuals to resort to self-medication with HRT, which poses significant risks to their health. I sincerely hope that this issue is resolved soon, but I fear it may not be.