Hello hello. I just got my record check in the mail but I was under the impression that I needed to provide them with id proof first. Is this necessary or can I go forward with using the document they gave me?

My doctor gave me prescription for androgel that ended up being nearly $200. Is this the normal price? I expected it to be around 100ish dollars but it was around 190. Im not under OHIP+ (bc i have school insurance) so i was just wondering if this was normal

Hello! Are there any trans-friendly psychwards in Ottawa, or surrounding cities? Ones that would use preferred name/pronouns, etc.

So i just did my electrolysis online theory and I will be moving on to the physical part

I'm currently 15, and I really want to get my name legally changed.

Im holding off for 2 main reasons: 1) My parents 2) Legal stuff

I dont think my parents will agree to me legally changing my name, but I'm hopeful that they might agree when I turn 16, or maybe now if I'm lucky.

As for the legal stuff, I'm worried that it's more complicated to get my name changed as a minor because of school, IDs, bank account, and stuff that I might not even be thinking about. I could do it, but Im worried my parents won't do everything-- I would do it if I could, I just dont think Im allowed to do it-- and it will mess me up in the future. I do know when I turn 18, I get my GOV ID, drivers license, pretty much documents and IDs, and I dont want to have to go through the process of all that.

I have known I was trans since I was 10, and I have been socially transitioning since then too. I came out to my parents at 12, so they know it's been at least 3 years. I also have my real name on my school documents instead of my dead name. I've had this name since I was about 13, 12/13. Im completely stealth irl. I want to change my legal name so bad but I idk if that's the right decision. If my parents were to agree, should I change it now or wait?

Hello! My work has coverage with Canada Life for Gender Affirming care and I am trying to utilize it! They do not have a list of covered procedures so I’m curious - Does anyone here have experience with getting claims accepted or denied and if so, what were they and how did the process go?

Thank you!

Hello folks!

Time for You Electrolysis in Ottawa is currently accepting new clients, and we would like to bring Natalie into the spotlight.

Natalie is kind-hearted, gentle handed, and passionate about trans focused care. Please feel free to email or call us with any questions or to book an assessment.

Thank you, and have lovely day! 💜

Hey all!

My name's Nat, I'm an electrologist in Toronto - I run NV Electrolysis which is a trans owned and operated clinic.

I last posted here a couple years ago after a client recommended it, and wanted to say hi again with some updates.

- Most importantly: Our intake is open, we're mostly caught up to our wait-list. It's a great time to say hi and start electrolysis.

- We hired 3 more electrologists, and a fourth is currently training!

- We moved to a new clinic space, then doubled in size again into the office next door in the Annex

- We hired a nurse to aid in a process we're calling NELI for surgery prep clearances (Nurse-assisted Electrolysis w/ Lidocaine Injections).

Interested in electrolysis? I'm not sure if reddit will let me post links lest I draw the ire of the spam filter, but if you google NV Electrolysis you'll find us and our contact page :)

Thanks to all our clients and our community for the continued support and trust <3

¡Hola, chicas! 💕
Soy una mujer trans que vive en Toronto, Ontario, y de verdad agradecería algunos consejos de otras mujeres trans que hayan pasado por algo parecido.
Llevo un tiempo en terapia hormonal (HRT), pero mi proceso no ha sido el más fácil.
Al principio empecé con estradiol oral, pero recientemente cambié a parches de estrógeno. Lamentablemente, me están causando un montón de problemas porque se despegan todo el tiempo y no se quedan bien pegados a mi piel. Ahora estoy tratando de ver cuál sería un mejor método para tomar estrógeno.
Otra cosa que me ha frustrado es el desarrollo de mis senos. Noté algo de crecimiento durante mi transición, pero en algún punto sentí que mi progreso se frenó muchísimo o incluso se estancó por completo. No he visto mucho crecimiento adicional, y no sé si esto tiene que ver con mis niveles de hormonas, con los cambios en la medicación o simplemente con cómo responde mi cuerpo a la HRT.
Por eso, he estado pensando en serio en una cirugía de aumento de senos. Pero no estoy segura de si debería buscar la cirugía ahora o enfocarme en estabilizar mi tratamiento hormonal y darle más tiempo a mi cuerpo.
Tengo unas preguntas:
¿Alguien ha tenido el crecimiento de los senos estancado mientras estaba en HRT? ¿Cambiar el método de estrógeno o ajustar los niveles hormonales hizo alguna diferencia?
¿A alguien le ha costado que los parches de estrógeno se mantengan pegados? ¿Qué alternativas les funcionaron mejor?
¿El aumento de senos está cubierto por el OHIP en Ontario para mujeres trans con desarrollo mamario limitado?
¿Cuáles son los requisitos y qué tan difícil es el proceso de aprobación?
¿Cuánto tiempo esperaste para la cirugía a través del OHIP?
Para quienes pagaron de forma privada: ¿cuánto costó todo el procedimiento?
¿Recomiendan esperar más para ver si la HRT mejora el desarrollo de los senos, pedir la cobertura del OHIP, o ahorrar para una cirugía privada?
De verdad quiero tomar la mejor decisión para mí, tanto en lo físico como en lo financiero.
El aumento de senos es algo que llevo pensando hace un buen rato, pero no quiero lanzarme a la cirugía si todavía hay posibilidad de que mi desarrollo mejore con un tratamiento hormonal más constante.
Me encantaría muchísimo escuchar sus experiencias, recomendaciones y consejos, especialmente de chicas que viven en Ontario.
¡Muchas gracias por su apoyo! 💗🏳️‍⚧️

Update: More details about my HRT journey, dosages and breast development 💕🏳️‍⚧️
Hi girls! 💗
Thank you so much to everyone who has commented and shared their experiences. I’ve noticed that several people have been asking how long I’ve been on HRT, what medications I’m taking, and what happened with my estrogen patches, so I wanted to provide a little update.
My HRT journey:
I’ve been on hormone replacement therapy for approximately 1 year and 10 months.
When I first started, I was taking 50 mg of spironolactone twice a day (100 mg total), along with oral estradiol.
Over time, my treatment and dosages have changed.
My current medications are:
Estradiol: 2 mg twice daily (4 mg total per day).
Spironolactone: 250 mg total per day.
What happened with the estrogen patches?
About a month ago, I switched from oral estradiol to estrogen patches. My doctor started me on the lowest initial patch dose.
Unfortunately, the experience hasn’t been great.
I tried so many different ways to keep the patches attached to my skin, including changing application areas and trying different techniques, but nothing seemed to work consistently.
The patches would constantly peel off, sometimes wouldn’t last as long as they were supposed to, and occasionally caused itching or skin irritation.
I also sweat quite a lot, which made keeping them attached even more difficult.
Eventually, I ran out of patches, and I haven’t been able to get a response from my doctor yet. I’m still waiting for my next appointment.
Because of this, I’ve gone back to taking oral estradiol at 2 mg twice daily.
What about my breast development?
This is honestly one of my biggest concerns.
During my transition, I did experience some breast development, but there was a period when it seemed like everything slowed down or stopped progressing.
I don’t know whether this was related to my hormone levels, inconsistent estrogen absorption, or simply my body’s natural response to HRT.
After almost two years on hormones, I was hoping to see more breast development, which is one of the reasons I’ve been considering breast augmentation surgery.
I’ve also been curious about estrogen injections.
I’ve heard that injections can be a good alternative for some trans women, especially those who have difficulties with patches or oral medication.
However, when I asked about them at my clinic, I was told that getting injectable estrogen in Canada could be complicated.
I’d really love to know if any girls in Ontario, especially Toronto, have been able to access estrogen injections.
How did you get them prescribed?
Are they available through regular pharmacies or compounding pharmacies?
How much do they cost?
Did switching to injections make any difference in your overall HRT experience or breast development?
I’d also love your opinions on my current situation.
Considering that I’ve been on HRT for almost two years, have experienced some difficulties with my estrogen treatment, and haven’t seen much additional breast growth, what would you recommend?
Should I focus on getting my hormone levels checked and finding a more consistent estrogen method before considering breast augmentation?
Has anyone experienced something similar and eventually noticed more breast development?
And for those who have gone through breast augmentation in Ontario, would you recommend applying for OHIP coverage or saving up for private surgery?
I’m not looking to make medication changes based solely on Reddit advice. I’d just really appreciate hearing about your experiences while I wait to speak with my doctor.
Thank you again for all your support and kindness. It really means a lot! 💕🏳️‍⚧️

Hello! I recently got 1% gel 25mg. I plan on just continuing on a low dose and If any of you microdose id really appreciate knowing the timeline of your changes.

I dont have many irls and would love to meet more in town of lincoln area

Hey,

I couldn't find any related thread - if such exists, I will appreciate the link.

Is DHT cream available in Canada?

I'm nonbinary afab and would like to have bottom growth, but I don't want to be fully transitioning with standard dose of HRT. I heard about DHT cream which can support bottom growth but will not cause other masculinity effects - which would be the effect I want, as at this point I would prefer my body not to be changing much into male.

I will appreciate any insights from you about this topic.

So for starters im 29, and moved here from the US a few years ago as I got married to my spouse. I have a few questions about transitioning because I only really finally came out (to myself and those around me) very recently.

1) How would/do I get HRT and such? Like should I just talk to my doctor and hope for the best or should I see about finding a different place to talk to or???

2) Coverage. I am like 99.9% sure I am not covered by OHIP because of my age, so what is the best thing to do for coverage, as I only have a part-time job that does not provide coverage.

3) What is the overall experience here like for transitioning. I have heard some horror stories down south which by and large shaped why I was afraid of even wanting to come out for so very long

4) What are some good resources to look into, I am totally new at all this and have been scrambling to find stuff in general because it's all just very new to me

Hi there, I am a 20 year old trans woman currently living in the northern Ontario area. I am hoping to get some answers regarding hormone replacement therapy in Ontario.

What I mainly need assistance with is acquiring an individual OHIP plan, or my own insurance. I currently am under a family plan from my parents and am looking to separate from them, that way I can get hrt without having to worry about them finding out. Is there anything in particular that must be done to get your own insurance? Ive been living in Ontario all my life, but I am a bit short on cash currently, so I dont know if that factor will affect anything.

Secondly, is injectable form of estrogen covered by OHIP. Ive looked over what OHIP covers, and I saw several different form of estrogen ranging from pills to gel, but no injectable form. Ive overall heard its the best for development and overall health so I am trying to aim for that.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Marinela Trickett (a psychotherapist in Guelph) has launched a petition to make OHIP include mental health (namely, psychotherapy) coverage. As someone who has personally faced many barriers (financial or otherwise) in accessing mental health services, this is something that could be life-changing, and I'm sure many others share these experiences. If this is something you want to see happen, please help sign the petition! IMPORTANT: The Ontario Legislature only accepts original hand-written signatures. Please print the document and physically sign it, and help get other people to sign too!

Completed petition forms can be mailed to Trickett Psychotherapy, 34 Harvard Road, Unit 2, Guelph, ON N1G 4V8; if cost is an issue, I will be more than happy to personally pick it up and mail it for you!

Petition press release: https://ohipforpsychotherapy.ca/press.php

Show your support online (note: the phsyical petition is still the only legally-recognized means): https://ohipforpsychotherapy.ca/#sign

Petition (English) to print: https://ohipforpsychotherapy.ca/docs/petition-ohip-psychotherapy-EN.pdf

Petition (French) to print: https://ohipforpsychotherapy.ca/docs/petition-psychotherapie-OHIP-FR.pdf

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Marinela Trickett. This is something I'm doing on my own time because I believe in how meaningful it is.

Hello! I have been doing my research on surgeons and clinics trying to decide which is best for me in terms of results + affordability. Right now I’m setting up a consultation with catalyst surgical (recommended by a friend) for top surgery, but I’m also interested in getting abdominal gender affirming lipo (which they do offer) to achieve a more masculine silhouette. I am already a very thin person, this is the kind of fat distribution that won’t go away even when I’m underweight or more muscular, unfortunately.

I have benefits through my spouse that covers up to $15000 for life for GA care, and I’m trying to budget out how best to spend it.

Would anyone know if it would be possible to go to GRS for the initial, fully covered top surgery, and then a local clinic for fine tuning? Do they allow things like that?

To the dolls based in Toronto/Canada, do ya'll have any Breast Augmentation experience with Dr.Pirani and/or Dr.Beber?

I see that Dr.Beber does some gender affirming stuff, but does anyone have experience with Dr.Pirani? I've heard he's one of the best in Canada for BA's, and just want to know if he will understand the intricacies of what's needed for transfem patients: ie: wide chest, preventing animation deformity (dual plane is his specialty). Also just general bedside manner with trans patients.

Thanks so much!!!

Hi! I'd really like to attend the St-Paul university in Ottawa , but I wonder of there is any way to access affordable housing, especially queer groups like in Rimouski or Montreal. Any pointers on flatmates facebook groups that are queer or communal? Anything on communal living? If you have pointers, that'd be great! Thank yoou!

Hello all! I'm a transgender 17 year old guy currently living in the states, but I'll be moving to Ontario next fall for university (I'm a citizen through my parents).

I've heard plenty about the process of getting HRT and surgeries etc in the states, but I have no idea where to start when I get to Canada.

How early can I get started with HRT? How do I actually start? Any and all advice is GREATLY appreciated, explain it to me like I know nothing since I basically don't lol!!

How do you make friends and how do you deal with negative feelings towards pasaingv

I’ll be honest i look up to the bravery and self esteem my “non passing” tgirl friends have because if it were not for them i would’ve kept doing what they said was “boy moding while being stealth” according to them atleast.

So okay fine, eventually i wore the dress etc and yeah, because of those friends i then realized i have a privilege..

So, how do you deal with that if you feel like you’re hurting them even tho they say you aren’t?

How do you make friends that i guess, are on that “passing” level or do stealth people usually just disappear into the sea of cis girls?

I’m never leaving my friends who got me to realize how fortunate i am, but sometimes i’d like to add to my friends and see if there is a different culture or whatever to those who do.

Hi all, I'm a trans girl living east of Toronto and I recently started progesterone almost 2 weeks ago. At first I was worried about having to pay the ~$90 a month for the prescription but my provider told me it could be insured under an EAP (Exceptional Access Program) which they told me they'd apply for. At first I was skeptical about it being approved because why would the government willingly cover an expensive medication such as this one BUT IT GOT APPROVED AND I PAY NOTHING. For everyone else in Ontario taking progesterone GET YOUR DOCTOR TO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR AN EAP

I'm feeling frustrated with the doctors I've been working with on my medical transition. Perhaps it's simply my inexperience, but I'll just dive-in and explain my circumstances: I'm trying to understand if this is normal in Ontario.

TL;DR: My first blood test I was told to take at mid and at peak by two different doctors. My second test I'm being told to take at mid-point. Personally, the number I'm interested in is trough -- I have osteoporosis and a long history of issues with hot-flashes that got terribly worse when I started HRT. What's the deal with Ontario doctors not testing at trough?

When I was given my Rx at my informed consent appointment I was started on 50 mcg patches and they were explicit: Do your blood test two days after you change patch, "we want a snapshot of your serum levels at the mid-point" between peak and trough. This struck me as odd, especially when my research seemed to show that most trans women are testing their serum levels at trough.

Before I'd made it that far in my journey, I switched to gel (and because my clinic refused to discuss injections I found an alternative clinic... while talking to the doctor at the second clinic [and having already switched to gel] they asked me to do my test at peak, 3-4 hours after I put on my gel. ooookay, sure. I did.

Aside: on 1.5 mg/day of gel I was barely reaching 100 pg/mL at peak, when I did the first test.

My GP and GAC at my home clinic were happy with the levels, and gave me no space to discuss my terrible hot flashes (i.e. being held in menopause -- having osteoporosis, I was exceptionally unhappy with this 'outcome').

The GAC at the second clinic also expressed they felt my serum level was fine, but seeing I wasn't satisfied they allowed me to double my dose to 3.0 mg/day of gel. This didn't make much impact, and when I went back and asked for injections they're once again asking for a mid-point test, 3.5 days after injection (starting me at 3.0 mg/week IM EV).

I already know I'm still being under-dosed; I took my first shot (0.3 mL of 10 mg/mL sesame E17b ester) Sunday, and after two nights free of hot flashes they came back... worse on night 4 than on night 3. So, day five, I took my second shot (0.21 ml to maintain ~0.42 mg/day). Surprise, surprise, no hot-flashes last night!

It's a low trough that gives me un-wanted side-effects. Can we test my trough, please! I'm wanting to advocate for this at my next appointment, but also... I'm of half a mind to simply do my next test at trough anyway.... I've done so much research these past five months I'm feeling more qualified to monitor and manage my serum levels than these 'experts' I'm forced to deal with (I'm sure a fat-head from my honors in biotechnology isn't helping, but for real -- what's with all these Ontario doctors seeking peak and mid-point serum levels and never asking for trough? [Or do I just have bad-luck in finding doctors?]).

Hello! I'm getting bottom surgery in November at GRS Montreal and was wondering if anyone had advice on if it would be a bad idea to fly home alone when I am discharged from the care home. Someone would pick me up from the airport in Toronto, but I would be alone until then.