The hidden market for transition hormones: Minors obtain them online with 'alarming ease' amid a regulatory vacuum

The report The Lack of Barriers to Minors Ordering Cross-Sex Hormones Online, recently published by the Do No Harm organization, discusses the easy access minors have to sex-change hormones over the internet, without the need for a doctor's prescription or age verification.

Do No Harm is a national association of medical professionals that opposes what it describes as "gender-affirming care" medical interventions for minors, arguing that they lack solid evidence of their benefits and pose significant risks.

The report highlights concerns about the absence of regulatory and safety barriers in the online marketplace, potentially allowing adolescents to obtain these drugs without adequate medical supervision.

"Our report reveals how online pharmacies may enable minors to obtain cross-sex hormones with alarming ease. From websites listing online vendors across the globe to marketplaces for ‘homebrewed’ hormones, we found a multitude of troubling pathways that appear to bypass basic safeguards and regulatory oversight," said Kurt Miceli, medical director of Do No Harm, to The Federalist.

Uncontrolled hormones at the click of a button

Among the resources noted by the report are DIYHRT.Market, a directory that lists pharmacies and "homebrewers" without safeguards that allow "to circumvent any age restrictions or prescription requirement to source cross-sex hormones like estradiol, which can be used in male-to-female transitions."

The report warns that the company's website falsely claims that "hormone replacement therapy (HRT)" for transgender individuals is "unquestionably beneficial" and that "there is clear statistical evidence that there are overwhelmingly positive outcomes on mental health and an overall improvement in quality of life."

Other websites mentioned in the document, such as HRT.Coffee and HRT Cafe, provide detailed information on pharmacies and other hormone vendors, "including accepted payment methods, country of origin, and product details."

The report shows that HRT Cafe even lists "unregulated" online pharmacies from which "users can purchase hormones online," with text indicating that these pharmacies do not require a prescription.

Similarly, Inhouse Pharmacy, located in the small island nation of Vanuatu in the Pacific and with a page dedicated to products for transgender people, claims it is "permitted" to process orders without a prescription.

Dangerous hormones available to minors online

The report warns that, due to the absence of controls on various online platforms, minors could access potentially harmful cross-sex hormones without medical supervision.

"Gender-confused kids should not be able to purchase potent, experimental medications with just a few simple clicks. These hormones carry significant risks, including effects that can be irreversible," Miceli stated.

According to the document, the "use of exogenous hormones like estrogen and testosterone carries a variety of dangerous side effects, including increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and certain cancers."

In this regard, the report stresses that children should not be exposed to these substances except in medically justified situations supported by rigorous, evidence-based clinical standards, as is the case in the treatment of hypogonadism.