My daughter is taking testosterone

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My daughter was socially transitioned by her school. She was coming out of it but during A-Levels and applying for University her anxieties came right back and so did the trans identity. She kept it secret and as soon as she turned 18 she accessed cross sex hormones online. The problem is we have a history of aggressive hormone cancers in the family. She’s also underweight and I have been told that even the Tavistock wouldn’t prescribe to her. When I phoned the GP he was dismissive as in “well she’s 18 she can make her own mistakes “ He did though put note on my records not hers!

I’ve now found out that Boots in her Uni town has dispensed Testosterone to her. They will only ask the standard questions according to my local Boots. It’s is absolutely insane that the UKs biggest pharmacy will hand out a controlled substance to an underweight 18 year old. If she tried to get a weight loss drug she’d have more trouble. I am disgusted that Boots are making my child ill with its lax safeguarding and distribution of a substance that has known long term consequences. If you care about this issue please help raise awareness of this medical disaster in the making. And it isn’t just my daughter. A friends son is determined to go on testosterone as soon as he turns 18 to bulk up. We are sleeping walking into a lifetime of medical consequences that 18 year olds cannot comprehend. I don’t know what to do but I hope the sisterhood of this place can help.

How do you know about Boots selling her drugs?

It was on the box she discarded. I believe she got the private prescription from elsewhere

I don’t know what to say really but I am so sorry.

It sounds like as though she is making a big mistake owing to exam stress. It is interesting that she may also be semi-anorexic from what you say.

My advice to you is to keep loving communication going no matter what, without either condoning or encouraging this. That will make it easier for her to change her mind one day. Also, if you can, do as much as you can with her to join body to mind - time outside, walking holidays, knitting even.

It is bad of Boots but if she had a prescription they probably have no right to withhold it.

Any dispensary can withhold a prescription if they don’t feel it has been prescribed correctly. Fundamentally no 18 yr old male or female should be allowed to take testosterone. It has very clear evidence of harm.

I don't know of any pharmacist who would override a dr to refuse a prescription - circumstances would have to be very severe I would imagine. The pharmacist doesn't have your DD's medical information, they don't know why she's taking the hormone.

You don't believe they should, but it isn't illegal. It's a prescribed medication. You have to allow your adult dd to make her own mistakes here. Unless you want to step in and try to get some kind of incapacity/power of attorney you can't do much.

It should have better restrictions. It’s not illegal to prescribe Mounjaro but they won’t if you’re underweight or have any other risk factors.

Mine did when a gp prescribed me medication that would have killed me in combination with another prescribed medication I was on. It happens fairly regularly especially so nowadays when you rarely see the same gp twice in a row and they're too rushed or cant be bothered to read your notes properly.
As a general rule of thumb drs understand illness and treatments but pharmacists know drug interactions and contraindications better

Everything about testosterone has been washed by pharmaceutical marketing. Years ago menopausal women weren’t allowed it because of the increased risk of heart attacks and autoimmune disorders. Suddenly it’s all the rage and yet there’s no new research to say, even in small doses for menopausal women it’s safe.

its all pharmaceutical marketing on a cheap product they can all make money out of.

Things you can do

• Write to the GP with a safety alert

Send a factual note about family cancer history, underweight status, testosterone use, source of supply, and any side effects or mental health concerns.

• Request a capacity assessment

Ask for assessment if impaired ability to understand and weigh the decision.

• Make a pharmacy safety complaint to Boots

Raise a formal complaint focused on patient safety concerns, such as whether proper checks were done and whether relevant risk factors were considered

• Report concerns to the GPhC (pharmacy regulator)

report it to the General Pharmaceutical Council as a patient safety concern.

• Report any suspicious online supply route

If the testosterone came from an unsafe, unregulated, or questionable online source, report the seller/prescriber route to the relevant regulator (for example MHRA and/or pharmacy regulators).

Frankly I would do them all given the risks of this continuing.

This is brilliant. Thank you so much

I'm glad your son has been able to access this really beneficial medication. He's an adult now and can do what he likes with his body.

She doesn't have a son. She has a daughter.

A young girl is taking serious risks with her health because of a dangerous ideology that denies reality. Have some respect.

Why?

Why would you impose your own belief in gender identity onto a mum who has shared her concerns about her daughter's mental and physical health?

As hurtful as I imagine your post is to this mum, I hope it stays here in this thread so that anyone reading it can see just how low gender identity believers will go.

To anyone with even a basic understanding of childhood development, and the vulnerability of teenagers to this kind of "answer" to "fix" distress, it's incredibly obvious that a vulnerable young adult is being let down by both her GP and a wider societal push to accept damaging and dangerous "inclusion" over medical evidence and common sense.

Great advice.

As parents, we can continue to advocate for our children's well-being, even when they legally become adults. The job of loving our children and doing what we can to protect them from serious harm doesn't stop just because they turn 18.

Sending 💐 and 💪, OP.

Mine did when our gp gave my child the wrong prescription for an eye infection. Luckily the pharmacist asked what it was for and stopped it.

My child was very young, so different to this situation, but they can refuse if they don’t think it’s correct.

You are not speaking to her daughter. Her daughter won’t read your post. You have no reason to try validate her daughter’s adopted gender role with your cross-sex pronoun use given she is not here.

You are just trying to invalidate and shut down a mother’s reasonable concerns about her child embarking on very harmful drug use.

So stop this sanctimonious, absolute rubbish transactivist language about her ‘son’. It is meaningless nonsense. She bore this child and she knows perfectly well what her child’s sex is.

Stop!!! This is an inappropriate and disrespectful comment - especially considering the issues with this drug. Think about this mother's feelings not your own point scoring for trans activism.
Disgusting

If it's been prescribed by a private doctor, shouldn't your issue be with them rather than the dispenser? The prescriber should have had a consultation involving taking a thorough history, family history, risk factors and basic observations like height, weight, BP etc. The chemist simply dispensed the medication as detailed on the prescription.

You're not even able to get her therapy as they must affirm. I can't imagine how hard this is for you. When did you find out ?

That’s not true there are thousands of therapists who won’t affirm in fact they have whole directories of them who specifically won’t.
https://www.therapyfirst.org

there are more of them as well.

As hurtful as I imagine your post is to this mum, I hope it stays here in this thread so that anyone reading it can see just how low gender identity believers will go.

This ^^

And I’m very sorry op that you have such a worry. I’m sure many gender dysphoric and confused young women don’t think the implications through. Can you talk about testosterone triggering menopause, vaginal atrophy and elongated clitoris as a result of taking it? Sometimes the messy, material and physical unrealised impacts can make a person pause for thought.