By Skye Morgan

Nathan is a 17-year-old transgender man from Paisley. He has faced many hardships since he came out at the age of 12.

Nathan is currently running a GoFundMe page to raise enough money for private healthcare to start Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), costing £365 for the first month, continuing to £80 per month afterwards.

Nathan said: “I have been on the Sandyford waiting list for five years now and when I turn 18, I get transferred to the adult waiting list and it could be another five years. Mentally I cannot handle another five years.”

For many young people, they can’t afford private healthcare, so the reality for them is being stuck on waiting lists like Nathan has been, sometimes for five years, if not longer.

With self-medicating being some young people’s only option, it can lead to very dangerous situations. Currently, there are no statistics on how many transgender people self-medicate but the presumed number is likely in the hundreds.

Nathan said: “I considered self-medication, but I know the risks of infection and contamination. It isn’t something I feel safe doing.”

In the current political climate, transgender people are often on the receiving end of negative comments, especially on social media. Nathan said: “I woke up and went on my Twitter account as I had posted my GoFundMe, and there were hate comments.

“My parents were not supportive; they didn’t really talk about it; It was a ‘if you just pretend it’s not there’ type thing. They always thought it was a phase.

“I’ve been called mentally ill, I've been bullied, I’ve had so much stuff said to me [because of my identity] but my friends have been supportive, and the trans community is great.”

Many young transgender people face these issues on a day-to-day basis when it comes to younger people having to live with their parents. It can be an unsafe environment and the negatives of moving out is that they may not be in a stable place financially to go through private healthcare, which in turn affects their mental health.

Nathan said: “I was in homeless accommodation, so it was difficult for me to get work, especially with my mental health, so I am on Universal Credit. It does not give you much [money], especially when running my own house, having to pay for my bills, food and stuff like that.

“I would not be able to get enough money together even if I saved for a year,” Nathan added.

Mental health in the transgender community has been very low within the past few years. A report by the government released in 2022 stated that 72% of transgender and non-binary people suffered from mental health issues.

Nathan said: “Starting HRT would definitely have a positive impact on my mental health, I know it might strain some of my family relationships, but I think at this stage in my life and my transition, this is the best thing that I could possibly do for myself and for my mental health.”

Nathan finished off by giving a message of hope to other transgender young people who may be going through similar experiences. He said: “Find support in your community. I never thought I would get here but I have. It might feel like you’re waiting years and years to start HRT, but it is achievable if you just keep going.”

You can find Nathan’s GoFundMe here.

The waiting list struggles that affect transgender youth in Scotland