User:Maddy from Celeste/DIY HRT

Do-it-yourself hormone replacement therapy (DIY HRT) is the practice of self-medicating with transgender hormone therapy drugs bought without a prescription.

Reasons
Reasons for seeking DIY treatments include lack of or inaccessibility of competent healthcare personnel, legal restrictions on transgender healthcare, cost, long waiting times, and exclusion.

Prevalence
Several studies have been undertaken on the prevalence of nonprescribed hormone use among transgender people. At the low end, 11% of Ontarian transgender people report having used DIY HRT; at the other extreme, 79% of trans women from Rio de Janeiro have done the same. In between lie London at 31% of transgender people, and 49% of trans women in San Francisco.

Effectiveness
A 2022 review identified no peer-reviewed studies on the effectiveness of self-administered gender-affirming hormones.

Safety
The medical literature generally condemns DIY HRT.