Worried about hormone therapy

[LottieLurker]

My DD is nearly 18, she is autistic and a history of anxiety, she also has some issues with her thyroid (overactive).

She has recently said she is trans and that when she is 18 (3 weeks) she intends to sign up for hormone therapy via a gender affirming provider online.
i am really worried she is rushing into this, and am trying to persuade her to have some counselling beforehand, and also to talk to our GP to ensure there are no risks due to her other health issues. But at the end of the day she will be 18 and able to sign up, even if I am not convinced by her decision. Does anyone have similar experience / suggestions to slow things down please?

Maybe Google to see what Elaine Miller (GussieGrippers on X) has to say about this. She has outlined various gynae problems caused by taking T.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13461901/Transgender-men-postmenopausal-bladder-bowel-problems.html

https://venusenvyxx.substack.com/p/governance-evidence-and-accountability

Hi Lottie - I've only just seen this but am going through similar with my son. He is 18 and has got his hands on hormones online as the wait for NHS servicees is 10 years and private wouldn't help him unless he lives as a woman socially in all areas of his life (friends, home, work etc). He hasn't taken them yet but I'm pretty sure he will and I can't stop him sadly. Anyway I am on Bayswater which is a group of parents with children who have gender dysphoria and it is very much gender critical. It is a bit fiddly to get access to the forum for obvious reasons but it is a wonderful supportive space so take a look https://www.bayswatersupport.org.uk/join-us/

I can't give you any decent advice as to be honest I am still figuring out what the hell to do myself. My son is also autistic and has suffered with depression and anxiety. It's a common thing with people who feel they are trans. Good luck to you.

This one feels close to home for me, so I hope you don't mind me responding a bit differently than some here might.
First, I hear your worry. It comes through clearly, and it sounds like it comes from love rather than rejection. That matters more than you might realise.
I have a trans daughter. She's 16 now. When she first told us, I had a hundred questions and fears too. The autism link worried me, the speed of it all worried me, whether I was doing the right thing either way worried me.
A few thoughts from the other side of some of those fears.
The autism connection is real but complicated. Autistic people are overrepresented in trans populations. Some see this as evidence of confusion. But many clinicians who work with both communities say autistic people are often simply more direct about who they are, less willing to mask for social convenience. It doesn't automatically mean she's wrong about herself.
Your instinct about the GP is good. Not to gatekeep, but because hormones do interact with thyroid conditions and that's a legitimate medical conversation. If you frame it as "I want you to be safe" rather than "I want to stop you," she may hear it better.
On counselling, you might offer to help her find a therapist who is neither cheerleading nor hostile. Someone who will actually explore things with her. At 18 she can refuse, but she might accept if it doesn't feel like a trap.
The hardest truth I've learned: trying to control this often pushes them toward the quickest, least careful options. Staying connected, even while worried, keeps you in the conversation.
How is she responding when you raise concerns?