as i've witnessed more trans folks going to gender affirming care specialists and endocrinologists, i've seen a disturbing pattern of doctors who have no idea what these hormones do or how to use them sending people home with their hormones and no information whatsoever. either doctors who don't give their patients information on what the hormone will do, or how to use it, or at times straight up giving people incorrect information.
my roommate who sees the same endocrinologist as me informed me that they told him to put his topical T gel "anywhere" on his body, and it would work fine. for those who don't know, most formulations of t gel used for transition & cis male purposes alike are only meant to be applied to the upper arm or abdomen. they will not absorb properly on other areas of the body and can also cause skin damage and irritation due to the alcohol-based gel.
this endocrinologist is a transmasculine nonbinary person, and have told me that they believe injectable t is "the way to go", because they personally use injectable, and because of how "ineffective" topical testosterone is based off of what they've heard from their own patients: they told me several times they heard their trans patients complaining about how their topical t wasn't doing anything... and blamed topical T itself, not realizing they were sabotaging their patients' transitions by refusing to give them accurate information on how to use topical testosterone!!!
i showed my roommate the informational paper inside his hormones, and gave him some extra info as an older trans person who's on T. doctors cannot be trusted to give you all the info, they're thinking harder about the money they get for writing you that prescription than how transition will affect you. ask other trans people how HRT has affected them. go straight to whatever local trans resource you have in your area, ask your trans friends, ask other trans people online. whatever you do, go straight to other trans people who aren't cutting you a prescription; doctors have their thoughts elsewhere.












