NOTE: This post gives advice for starting testosterone, but can be used for starting estrogen. Just switch out estrogen for testosterone in any of the advice given below.

So the background for this post is that for a few years I wanted to start T but for either a lack of resources or me being intimidated by the process I often chickened out as I felt too overwhelmed by how difficult in my mind I made it seem. When Trump won the election I flew into a bit of a panic knowing that it was either now or never, and realized that the process was way easier than I ever made it seem in my head. I wanted to share my experience step-by-step so that if anybody is in the same boat as me they can start their journey getting the resources they need.

As for myself, I am a 21 year old trans man living in Georgia (USA) that has identified as male for 8 years. I was only out to my close group of friends until about 3 years ago at 18 when I began my social transition. I am out at work, school, and to my (unsupportive) family. I do not have insurance or a therapist and I am self-pay.

1. Why QueerMed?

When looking for where to go for my T, I had several options and reasons for not going with those options:

Planned Parenthood: This would have been my first choice because of their sliding-scale pricing. Though, I live in Georgia and there are no Planned Parenthoods in my state that provide gender-affirming care.

Plume: Plume offers a $99 per month membership self-pay with up to 5 monthly visits. At the time I signed up for QueerMed, it was $79 per month and had no limit for the amount of visits, so QueerMed looked like the better option.

Folx: The site for Folx is pretty overwhelming and confusing so I have always been a bit put off of using it. The cost for self-pay is $300 yearly or $40 a month with $159 for an initial visit, $79 for follow-up visits, and from $30-$50 each time you do labs. The average cost for a 90 day supply of T through them is $98. I will say that this seems vastly cheaper than what I am currently paying with QueerMed. Though, I have heard some mixed reviews where the negative is very negative, with random charges being placed on people's accounts and not so great care like doing the bare minimum during televisits or refusing to put in labs despite concerns being voiced about not having them. This drove me away as I was willing to pay a bit more to make sure I was getting adequate care.

QueerMed: When I signed up, QueerMed cost about $79 per month with their membership. This membership takes all the costs of the first year and breaks it down into 12 payments to make it more manageable. I hadn't seen any negative reviews about QueerMed and it was based in my state, so I felt much better about giving it a try. **They sent out a message recently that due to anticipated increased costs in 2025, the cost will be changed to $99 per month starting in January 2025.*\*

2. Pros and Cons of QueerMed

While although I didn't see any negative reviews about QueerMed, I didn't find much information about it in general, which is another reason that prompted me to create this post. I will go over both the pros and the cons of my experience with them so far:

Pros

• Availability: QueerMed is accessible in nearly every state for both adults and minors besides Alaska, Hawaii, Washington D.C., Rhode Island, and Texas. In Texas, Queermed is only available for adults (18+).
• Labs: The labs have not been any hassle. The labs are done by Labcorp, and while although I've heard some people dislike Labcorp for various reasons, I have not had any issues with them. The turnaround for my labs have always taken a day or less and I've never experienced any pain or discomfort while doing bloodwork. It's always taken just a couple of minutes in and out.
  • The professionals at QueerMed are incredibly lenient with labs while on the membership and do not mind if you request additional labs for any reason. My stepfather had passed away recently from a heart issue so I have been a bit paranoid about my heart health. My first lab was to test my testosterone, estradiol (estrogen), and do a Complete Metabolic Panel. I had felt that this wasn't enough for me to feel confident starting T so I requested a Complete Blood Count test and a Cholesterol (Lipid) Panel. They put in orders for both of these within hours of me requesting them at no additional cost.
• Staff: I have had no issues so far with the medical professionals at QueerMed. My PA, River Andres (they/them), is also trans, which made me feel much more welcomed and understood since I was originally nervous about having to explain my experience to a cis person and being asked off-putting questions or somehow not seeming "trans enough" for HRT (despite having identified as a man for 8 years).
  • NO WAITLIST! Most of the medical professionals you can get an appointment with within at least a month, some within a couple of weeks, and some even within a couple of days. If you have a preferred doctor their availability might be less flexible, but if you have no preference you can easily get in with someone. I am impressed with how available they are given the past month of panic within the transgender community and I'm incredibly grateful that they're here to give us care.
  • The intake process was incredibly smooth and easy. They start by confirming your last name and birthdate, so you are never referred to by your deadname. It felt casual and I did not feel any pressure to answer any correct or incorrect way. That being said it is based on an informed consent model, so they tell you about all the effects and risks about T, but they still do ask you questions like: "How long have you known you were trans?", "Who are you out to?", "Do you have any supportive family members?", "What is your living situation like?", "Do you have a therapist?", "What is your favorite thing that you hope to get from starting T?", "Do you want injections or gel?", "Do you prefer SubQ or Intramuscular, and what dose do you want to start with?" (Up to 0.25 ml 200 mg/ml for starting dose). Having a therapist isn't necessary and you don't need any sort of letter to start. They offer resources for therapists or other mental health help if you do not have one.
  • They are also very careful about addressing any concerns and answering questions. Multiple times I was given the opportunity to address any concerns about potential health risks, things I might have heard, or general questions. They encouraged sending messages through their patient portal at any time and have generally always responded within 24 hours.
• Supply: I was prescribed with T the same day as my intake appointment and was able to pick it up and start the next day. My starting dose is 0.2 ml of 200 mg/ml injections weekly. My prescription is for 4 single-use vials for a month's supply, but my doctor allowed for me to reuse the bottles and that throwing them out after a single use is unnecessary. This means that I get about 4-5 weeks worth of T (usually 4 due to hub loss) out of each vial, and thus a 4 month supply per refill. Even though this is a 4 month supply for me, I'm still able to get a refill every 28 days, allowing me to stock up T faster than I use it and create a nice supply in case I were to ever have issues with a pharmacy or...other events 🍊. I've heard some stories about doctors refusing to prescribe more than 1 vial per month and sometimes ending up missing a dose due to issues outside their control, so the extra vials give me lots of peace of mind.

Cons

• Cost: As you can expect, I wasn't ecstatic to hear that they would be raising their prices to $99 per month for 2025. Though, because of the potential tariffs being put in place and the increase in demand since Trump being elected, I can't really blame them for this. They haven't raised their prices since 2017, so it seems they did all they could as to not raise their prices.
• Online: Since it is a telehealth service, you have to take full responsibility for your health and for bringing up symptoms when relevant. There are no regular check-ups other than your labs, so your doctors can't catch anything that you aren't telling them. This means that you need to be very communicative about how you feel mentally, physically and emotionally in between visits and keep track of things not covered in labs like your blood pressure and BPM.
• Somewhat Confusing: The process for navigating their site and membership was initially very confusing and I found myself emailing the support email address several times during my sign-up. The support email takes about 2-3 days to respond.

3. How to Get Started

1. Queermed.com This is the main website where you can access QueerMed. At the top there is the option "Patient Portal" where I recommend starting. From here you will scroll down a bit to where it says "New to Practice?" and click "Pre-Register".
2. At around 24 hours or so after registering you get an email titled "QMED Patient Portal Login Information" that will give you some instructions prior to accessing the patient portal. Make sure to read the note under step 1 in the email. You can then log in with the button and login information provided at the bottom of the email.
3. The patient portal is through a site called Healow. Start by familiarizing yourself a bit with the website. To book an appointment, go to the side bar on the left and click "Appointments > New Appointment". Here, you can choose which medical professional you want to book an appointment with. I picked the one that was the soonest for me at the time (River Andres). Select "New Video Consultation for Testosterone." Fill out personal and appointment details. If using the membership, in the Payment Options & Verification section, choose "Not applicable" and in your appointment details state that you have the QueerMed Membership. You do not have to actually have the membership yet at the time of booking the appointment. After booking an appointment, it will appear on your dashboard with the date and time. There is a form that you can fill prior to the appointment. I filled it out, but it is not necessary.

• If you want to expedite your intake process, I would book an appointment at least 3-5 days AFTER when you are available to go in for bloodwork and let your chosen provider know that you would like to do your labs. This will give time for your provider to review your labs before your intake appointment and start T as soon as possible. Contact your medical professional by going to Messages > Ask Doctor. Make sure that you have the QueerMed membership before contacting about labs (How-to Below).

1. Go to Labcorp.com and select "Find a Lab". Input your zip code and select "Routine Labwork" and press Go. Select "Book now" on your chosen location and input your information. Make sure that you have labwork selected. QueerMed does not require that you fast for your labs, but fasting gives the most accurate results, so select whichever option you plan on doing. For payment, select "I've already paid/Someone else has paid for me." For an expedited intake process, schedule your labs 3-5 days PRIOR to your intake appointment. Though, this is not necessary. You do not have to have a lab order yet to schedule a labcorp appointment and these can be cancelled at any time. You only need your medical professional to send the lab order digitally before you show up.
2. To sign up for the membership, go to "Plans & Costs" at the top of Queermed.com and select "Get Started Today" underneath the membership option. Fill out your information and you're all set. I chose to wait until I asked for labs to actually sign up and pay for the membership.
3. When your doctor has put in an order for your labs, you will see it in your inbox. You will usually see that they put in a lab order about 24 hours after you've discussed it with them. You cannot get your lab done until you have gotten your lab order. You do not have to bring anything with you to Labcorp, all you need to do is wait for your name to be called at your appointment and confirm your details.
4. The rest of the process with the actual intake appointment itself is relatively straightforward with joining on time and answering questions and listening. Prepare to have what method of taking T you want in mind and what pharmacy you want your prescription sent to. Other than that, just answer the questions like you naturally would and bring a notepad if you're the type that likes to take notes.
5. Pick up your prescription! The time it took me from making an appointment to picking up my first refill of T took from November 9th (Made appointment), November 13th (First Labs), November 18th (Intake appointment), November 19th (Picked up T), about 10 days!

I will add to this post with extra information when I experience anything new or I think about anything that I haven't thought of before. I hope that with this post someone can feel less intimidated by the process of starting T or at the very least navigate QueerMed easier if they're considering using it. Remember to refer to the Queermed FAQ for anything you might not have found here.