Document Type
Essay
Publication Date
Spring 2022
Abstract
Healthcare is often a complicated issue to navigate, and sadly it gets no easier for those who are transgender. Gender-affirming healthcare can be incredibly tough to attain, both within and outside the United States. Research found that trans citizens in the US were less likely to be insured and more likely to experience barriers to access than cis citizens. In April and May 2021, laws were signed into effect in Arkansas and Tennessee targeting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and puberty blockers, specifically banning such medicines being given to individuals under 18. As a result, many transgender citizens turn to online resources to obtain HRT, hereby referred to as “DIY-HRT” for its independent nature given resources without the direction of a medical professional. Non-medical sourcing can be dangerous due to a lack of advisory and possibly improper dosing, which can vary from individual to individual (Couillard & Higbee 2018). This is complicated by the fact that doctors who are properly educated on trans healthcare are rare, forcing individuals into a “pick your poison” situation – they can either try and deal with gender dysphoria until they get access to legitimate and effective healthcare, or they can take DIY-HRT while recognizing the risk that they might be harmed by this later in life.
Recommended Citation
Studt, Ted, "The Ethics Surrounding Do-it-Yourself Hormone Replacement Therapy" (2022). Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics. 41.
https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/ethics_essay/41
Comments
Honorable mention prize winner.