This guide is an incredibly paired down version of PGHRT alongside some of my own opinions. It is designed to be a guide for you to quickly start taking feminizing hormone replacement therapy via injections, it is not a replacement for PGHRT, you should still read it when you have the time. I am not a doctor, make your own decisions based off the information I give you.
My good friend Polly wrote an excellent piece in defence of DIY HRT., and I also wrote about it in my essay on transgender consent but to be brief, DIY HRT gives us the tools to take control of our own bodies in spite of institutions that are declined to prevent us from transitioning at every possible opportunity.
◬ Vial of oestrogen
◬ Needles
◬ Alcohol wipes for disinfecting
◬ Sharps Disposal Container
◬ Plasters/Band-Aids (optional)
You can find hormone vials online, as well as all the other resources mentioned in the above shopping list. I can’t give you the specifics of exactly where you should buy your needles as it varies from country to country. As for the sourcing of vials you can look at https://diyhrt.info/ and https://diyhrt.market/ to find where you want to source your vials. You will need to use crypto, I recommend Monaro, but other coins are good enough.
Don’t store your vial exposed to direct sunlight, and keep it within a range of 5-25°C (40-75°F) to avoid degradation of the liquid. It is also important that you disinfect the stopper of an open vial before putting it into storage.
◬ For EEN I recommend 4-6mg per injection every 7 days
◬ For EC I recommend 3.5-4.5mg per injection every 5 days (PGHRT rec is 5-7mg every 7 days)
◬ For EV I recommend 3.5-5mg per injection every 5 days (PGHRT rec is 6-8mg every 7 days, very high difference between peak and trough)
You can calculate estimated doses using the HRT dosage calculator estrannai.se, you should have a look at the different curves and make an informed decision on your dose.
◬ Wash your hands
◬ Lay out your supplies on a clean surface
◬ Check your vial and stopper to see if something is wrong, if something is wrong I recommend using a new vial
◬ Disinfect your injection site and the cap of your vial
◬ Uncap your insulin needle
◬ Draw into the syringe the same volume of air as your dose
◬ Insert your needle into the middle of the rubber stopper on your vial
◬ Press down on the plunger
◬ Lift your vial and needle into the air and invert, make sure the tip of your needle is submerged in liquid
◬ Draw the plunger to just beyond the volume of your dose
◬ Wait for the liquid to fill into the syringe, this can take a while
◬ Press your plunger to your dose
◬ Invert once more and remove needle from stopper
◬ Hold the needle up in the air and flick the syringe to loosen any air bubbles
◬ Push minutely on the plunger to remove the air, until a tiny bead a bead of liquid forms
◬ Find an injection site
◬ Pinch the area you want to inject
◬ In a single smooth motion, insert your needle into the injection site at a 90° angle
◬ Press down on the plunger and hold the needle in place for 5 seconds
◬ Remove needle and dispose in sharps container, do not attempt to cap the needle
◬ Press on the injection site for 5-10 seconds
◬ Place a plaster on the injection site (optional, but it is cute as fuck)
◬ Place 23G needle on syringe
◬ Uncap your needle, then draw into the syringe the same volume of air as your dose
◬ Insert your needle into the middle of the rubber stopper on your vial
◬ Press down on the plunger
◬ Lift your vial and needle into the air and invert, make sure the tip of the needle is inside the liquid
◬ Draw the plunger to just beyond the volume of your dose
◬ Wait for the liquid to fill into the syringe
◬ Press your plunger to your dose
◬ Invert once more and remove needle from stopper
◬ Draw a little air into the syringe, then remove and discard draw needle in a sharps container, do not attempt to cap the needle
◬ Place your 25G injection needle on your syringe
◬ Hold the needle up in the air and flick the syringe to loosen any air bubbles
◬ Push minutely on the plunger to remove the air, until a tiny bead a bead of liquid forms
◬ FInd an injection site
◬ Pull the skin of the injection area tight
◬ In a single smooth motion, insert your needle into the injection site at a 90° angle, and push until the needle is roughly an inch into your muscle
◬ Press down on the plunger and hold the needle in place for 5 seconds
◬ Remove needle and dispose in sharps container, do not attempt to cap the needle
◬ Press on the injection site for 5-10 seconds
◬ Place a plaster on the injection site (optional, but it is cute as fuck)
If you feel a severe burning sensation in your injection site you may be experiencing an allergic reaction, this does not mean you are allergic to the injectable oestrogen, but rather the carrier oil. Order a new vial with a different carrier oil if you experience a burning sensation. This is the most common issue to look out for.