Guides
Practical guides on health, safety, and identity.
HRT in Iraq — overview
A practical, harm-reduction guide to hormone replacement therapy in Iraq. Sourcing, dosing, monitoring, and risks.
What is HRT?
An introduction to hormone replacement therapy and the two-component model used in trans-feminine and trans-masculine transition.
Feminizing HRT
Estrogen and antiandrogen options available in Iraq, including dosing, administration, and the critical CPA meningioma warning.
Masculinizing HRT
Testosterone options available in Iraq, dosing, expected timeline, and risks for trans-masculine HRT.
Sourcing HRT in Iraq
How to actually obtain Estrofem, Androcur, and Androfarm from Iraqi pharmacies. The show-the-photo method, the مذخر system, and tips for navigating conservative pharmacists.
Pharmacy script — what to say
Tested Arabic-language scripts the collective has used to obtain HRT medications from Iraqi pharmacies, with English translations.
HRT monitoring — labs to get and where
What blood work matters on hormone therapy, target ranges for trans-feminine and trans-masculine HRT, and where to find Iraqi private labs that handle hormone panels.
HRT risks — an honest look
Cardiovascular, hepatic, neurological, bone, and mental health risks of hormone therapy. Honest information about what can go wrong.
Mental health for queer Iraqis
Honest words about gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, family violence, and crisis. Coping strategies that work in a context where therapy is rarely safe.
Honor violence — recognizing the threat and planning to survive
What honor violence is, warning signs, safety planning, fleeing guidance, and the limits of asylum. Written for queer Iraqis at risk from their own families.