A major ‘DIY’ hormone resource website appears to have closed just days after being targeted by right-wing and gender-critical media outlets.

HRT Cafe, a grassroots database of tutorials, resources, and information on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), closed its doors earlier this week.

The website, which was maintained by a small, anonymous group of developers, was considered one of the biggest resources for ‘DIY’ HRT in the UK.

‘DIY’ HRT, also known as self-medicating, is the practice of obtaining and administering medication with minimal or no medical oversight. It is considered a last resort to accessing gender-affirming care. It is not illegal to possess non-controlled hormones for personal use without a prescription in the UK.

The practice has become increasingly common among trans adults in the UK given the decades-long wait times in accessing gender-affirming care through the NHS and the immense financial barriers in accessing private prescriptions, which can cost hundreds in monthly fees. A 2022 report from TransActual estimated that around 25 per cent of the UK trans adult community had self-medicated at some point during their transition.

HRT Cafe provided educational resources on various masculinising and feminising gender-affirming medications, clarifying safety considerations and side effects for each medication. It also maintained a list of online vendors providing each medication.

Developers shuttered the site unexpectedly earlier this week. No official statement has been published, only that its developers were no longer accepting donations.

Its closure came just days after a number of right-wing news outlets, including The Daily Signal, published articles on ‘DIY’ vendors citing HRT Cafe and other resource sites. Gender-critical pundits also posted on social media to suggest this was just the first step in getting additional resource sites shut down.

While several LGBTQ+ and trans non-profits advise against self-medicating, warning of potential harm due to contamination from unregulated vendors, several members of the community have said it is the last feasible way for them to access the potentially life-saving medication.

Samathy, a 29-year-old trans woman in the UK, told PinkNews last year that self-medicating was the only viable way to continue transitioning after her GP revoked her prescription without warning.

“I’d much rather enjoy being treated for my NHS-diagnosed medical condition by an NHS doctor,” she said. “History shows us that removing people’s access to healthcare does not remove the need for it.”

Several GPs have abruptly cancelled prescriptions for trans adult patients over the past few years over a claimed “lack of expertise.”

Clinical psychologist Dr Aidan Kelly criticised the claim, saying that its justification ignored the purpose of shared-care agreements, which sees specialists provide clinical guidance to GPs.

“GPs have expertise in prescribing hormones, they do it for cis people all the time,” he said to PinkNews in May last year.

It also comes as NHS England announced an evidence review into the effects of hormones on transgender adults, leading to concerns on whether access could be under threat.

PinkNews has reached out to the developer of HRT Cafe for comment.

Share your story! Do you have an important, exciting or uplifting story to tell? Email us at news@pinknews.co.uk

The post Major ‘DIY’ hormone hub shuts down as the anti-trans brigade targets more sites appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.