Worried about HRT access under a Trump presidency? Here’s what you need to know
November 7, 2024
Trump’s win this week was a huge, if not entirely shocking, blow to the trans community. But even though Trump and his supporters would prefer for trans people to give up and disappear into the woodwork, we’re already making plans to help each other through this horrifying moment.
Part of that involves finding contingency plans for HRT access if the worst comes to pass.
To be clear: what we’re fearing most right now is that with a Republican majority, the Affordable Care Act could be scrapped, leading insurance companies to stop covering life-saving gender-affirming care. We don’t know that this will happen, and if any of the sitting members of the Senate or House are looking for reelection in two years, it probably won’t happen. However, in this community, we have to be prepared for the very worst.
Obviously, the best option is to get gender-affirming care from your medical provider. But if that’s not an option right now or in the future, you have other options. While expensive, you can use telehealth platforms like Folx and Plume which are designed to help bypass state-specific barriers to trans healthcare. You can also try to go through Planned Parenthood.
But if you don’t have the funds (and honestly, most people do not at this point,) or if you don’t live near a Planned Parenthood or affordable gender clinic, there are other options to pursue.
Thanks to a few creators, we have some good resources to follow around accessing HRT in difficult places. Start with this directory, which offers HRT guides for trans men and women.
If you want more information, take a look at this safety guide as well.
This page has a lot of information about access and best practices.
One extremely helpful redditor compiled a comprehensive list of informed consent clinics in the country which could help you bypass medical gatekeeping in your state.
If you’d like to learn more about the science behind HRT, this site has a lot of helpful info.
And if you’re considering moving out of your state to better access gender-affirming care, Erin in the Morning’s Anti-Trans Legislative Risk Map is always a fantastic resource.
This is a scary moment, and we’re all feeling like hell. But remember: in this community, we’ve always had to look out for each other, and that’s just what we’ll keep doing.