I can't really comment on the US. But thank you for the insight...
I think the solution of having the doctor manage this kind of thing is a lot better than what happens in the US.
> I think the solution of having the doctor manage this kind of thing is a lot better than what happens in the US.
I think it is difficult as in the US medical care is mostly privatised.
You cannot sue a doctor in the UK, you would sue the trust (a collection of hospitals in a geographical area). So if a doctor needs to force treatment on a child and the parents refused it would go to a board who would approve or deny it. All children (and adults) will receive treatment for free, so there is also no gotchas about who is going to pay.
I don't think the medical literature suggests taking homemade drugs from strangers on the internet.
I will refrain from name-calling, but I have never been as angry or disgusted by anyone else on this site.
Edit: I want to make it clear that the dire consequences I'm talking about are NOT feminization/masculinization, nor even common complications of either such as infertility.
Taking uncontrolled doses of hormones, at irregular times, without any kind of tracking of the quantitative effects (blood tests to determine effective levels), especially for someone undergoing puberty, can easily lead to hormone overdoses that can seriously harm pretty much any organ in the body - including at the very least the heart, kidneys and liver. Testosterone and estrogen have many many effects in the body outside of determining sexual characteristics.
How do you make a judgment that some 12 yo kid is more at risk from having to wait for HRT approval due to not being able to find a sympathetic medical professional, vs the risk from being highly suggestible, unable to sensibly judge that HRT is the right solution and consequently causing permanent change to their bodies (including possible loss of fertility, and a number of other side-effects around blood clotting etc.) as they progress through puberty?
For that reason I think attitudes like this do more harm for the trans community than good. If I knew a trans person with these views I would do everything possible to avoid any contact with them and my children.