FAQs

Yes. All children and young people go through our intake process. Even if your child has been assessed as Gillick competent elsewhere, we still need to confirm their understanding of the care they’re asking for. That includes the risks and benefits involved.

That said, we do our best to keep this as simple as possible for families transferring from other providers. Usually, young people new to Anne Health need at least three sessions with a therapist before moving on to a doctor. If you’re transferring from another provider, two sessions may be enough, unless we think more are needed for safety or support.

We also offer regular follow-up sessions as part of your care. These are more like check-ins than traditional therapy, and are designed to make sure you feel supported throughout your time with us.

We’ve set up a legal way to continue offering puberty blockers. If you’re interested in this, we’ll explain everything clearly during the intake process, including how it works and what your options are.

It is legal to access medication that isn’t available or is restricted in the UK and Northern Ireland if it is prescribed and supplied entirely outside of these areas. This includes puberty blockers (GnRHa medications), and it would also apply to hormones if rules change for under-18s.

We work with trusted partners outside the UK and Northern Ireland to support access.

It’s also important to know that gender-affirming hormones are not banned, and young people under 18 can still access blood tests and other parts of gender-affirming care.

The Little Backpocket Guide to puberty-suppressing hormones from the Love Tank is particularly helpful in explaining the current situation and the history of the use of puberty-blocking medication.

We raise money throughout the year to provide free and lower-cost gender-affirming care for people who might not otherwise be able to access it.

You can support us by making a one-off donation through our website. Every donation helps us support more people.

Find out more on our donate page, or if you’d like to talk about a fundraising idea, you can email us at hello@anne.health

We offer free and subsidised places thanks to donations from our community. These spots are limited, but we’ll announce whenever new applications open. You can also follow us on social media for updates.

No. At Anne Health, we use an informed consent model. That means you don’t need to socially transition before starting hormone therapy.

Everyone’s journey looks different, and we’re here to support you in a way that works for you.

We work with clinicians based across the UK and the EU.

For prescriptions, young people are matched with EU-based prescribers. Over-18s may be matched with EU or UK prescribers.

Please let us know right away. If your pharmacy won’t accept your prescription, we can issue you a new one and help you find a different pharmacy. We also keep a database of pharmacies that have been trans-friendly and supportive in the past.

We can also provide guidance for UK pharmacies on accepting digital prescriptions.

This is a common and understandable concern, and we take it seriously.

Our clinicians follow guidance from the Endocrine Society and WPATH. They look at your child’s stage of development, not just their age. This helps reduce risks, including possible effects on bone health from being on blockers for a long time.

We’ll work closely with you and your child to monitor their health and keep risks as low as possible. As part of your membership, you’ll also have access to experienced hormone specialists who support young people exploring their gender.