Trans man crowdfunds to begin hormone therapy to avoid lengthy NHS waiting list
A trans man from the UK is crowdfunding money to pay for gender reassignment surgery, saying he can’t wait on NHS waiting lists any longer.
Jay Sweetland, 21, tells the BBC that he has been on the NHS waiting list for gender reassignment surgery for more than a year.
He says he has known since the age of five that he was trans, and later decided to transition.
Speaking to ITV, he says: “Waiting is just horrible. I feel down about myself. And I can’t really do anything about it on the NHS. Just waiting. It’s just a waiting game.”
But Sweetland also says he has been on the waiting list for diagnosis for over a year, and is still awaiting assessment, and to begin hormone replacement therapy.
Sweetland, from Pill, Somerset, explains binding his hips and breasts using a compression vest in the video published on the BBC.
He says the compression vest “helps [him] feel more comfortable”, despite only being able to wear it for a set length of time.
“Hopefully with the funding, I’ll get my appointment sooner and be able to start hormone therapy sooner to help me feel at ease more, and more comfortable in my own skin.”
So far the campaign has raised £473 out of a £550 goal.
The crowdfunding page reads: “Trying to raise around £500 so I can start transitioning as soon as possible, I can see two specialist doctors in London, where I will be able to start hormone therapy within a month or two of my initial assessment, instead of 2-3 years – the length of the NHS waiting list for me. The two appointments will cost around £450 and I will need to pay for travel, I will receive specialist care and the best treatment and advice available to me. It would completely change my life for the better if I was able to start testosterone treatment as soon as possible. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my page, and thank you for any donations made towards my treatment.”
