Medical advocacy group says online directories and international pharmacies may allow minors to obtain gender-transition drugs with minimal safeguards.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A medical advocacy organization is warning that online vendors and informational websites may be creating pathways for minors to obtain cross-sex hormones without prescriptions or age verification, according to findings outlined in a newly released report that was first reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
DNH Lack of Barriers to Online Hormones March 2026 by yourNEWS Media
The analysis by Do No Harm identified a network of online resources that provide instructions, vendor listings and guidance on acquiring transgender hormone medications outside traditional medical channels, including instructions for producing or purchasing so-called “homebrewed” hormone therapies.
Kurt Miceli, chief medical officer for the organization, said the findings indicate that global online marketplaces and informal supply networks may be bypassing conventional safeguards that govern pharmaceutical access.
“The report reveals how online pharmacies may enable minors to obtain cross-sex hormones with alarming ease,” Miceli said. “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.”
Miceli warned that the medications involved can carry significant health risks if used without supervision.
“Gender-confused kids should not be able to purchase potent, experimental medications with just a few simple clicks,” he said. “These hormones carry significant risks, including effects that can be irreversible.”
Miceli urged regulators to examine the online marketplace for potential violations of federal and state pharmaceutical laws.
“We urge the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] and other federal agencies to investigate any potential unlawful sellers and, where appropriate, for states to do the same when their laws are being violated,” he said. “Protecting minors from unsafe and unregulated access to powerful cross-sex hormones must remain a priority.”
Among the websites identified in the report is Transgender Map, a resource that provides information about gender transition and lists online pharmacies located across several continents that may supply hormone medications.
According to the analysis, the site acknowledges that acquiring hormones without a prescription violates the law but nonetheless provides guidance about potential access routes. One page titled “how to get hormones as a transgender minor” states that “for young people who are sure they want to make a gender change, getting on hormone blockers and maybe hormones can help a lot,” while also advising readers that “you need to be sure, though.”
The guide further notes that individuals should understand possible complications before beginning treatment.
“If you wish to take that risk, go here,” the page states before directing readers to a separate guide describing ways to order hormone medications online.
The website was created by filmmaker and consumer activist Andrea James during the course of their own gender transition. James did not respond to a request for comment regarding the report.
Another site highlighted by researchers is DIYHRT.market, which maintains listings of pharmacies and individuals who produce hormone preparations outside conventional pharmaceutical supply chains.
The website references medications including estradiol, a hormone used in male-to-female transitions, and promotes hormone replacement therapy as beneficial for transgender individuals, stating that “there is clear statistical evidence that there are overwhelmingly positive outcomes on mental health and an overall improvement in quality of life.”
At the same time, a detailed transfem hormone guide published on the platform acknowledges potential risks involved in unregulated manufacturing.
“It is important to understand the risks,” the guide states, noting that “there is a non-zero possibility of contamination or problems with the manufacturing process because these folks simply do not have the same resources that a multi-million dollar pharmaceutical company has.”
Operators of the website did not respond to inquiries seeking comment.
Researchers also identified several directories that compile vendor information for hormone suppliers. Among them are HRT.Coffee and HRT Cafe, which publish lists of online pharmacies and hormone providers.
Information on the HRT.Coffee site indicates that some suppliers listed there do not require prescriptions before orders are placed.
The site notes that certain vendors “have been tested and verified by multiple people, but some suppliers are more reliable than others so consult with your communities if you are unsure who to pick or want to [minimize] risk.”
Representatives associated with HRT Cafe said their website functions only as an informational directory.
“I have no comment on your questions at this time however I want to clarify hrtcafe has never sold, nor taken money for hrt, nor shipped hrt to anyone, nor provided medical treatment in any way,” the site said in an emailed statement. “It is just a list of places already viewable on google. The sites we link to are entirely separate entities that we benifit from in no way. The site is not monetized nor takes donation.”
The report also identified several international online pharmacies that appear to accept orders without requiring a prescription at the outset.
One example is MedsMex, a Mexico-based pharmacy that ships medications to the United States. On its FAQ page, the company states: “No prescription to purchase any medicines in our pharmacy. By ordering from Medsmex you are agreeing that you are only purchasing medicine for your own personal use.”
Another vendor mentioned is Inhouse Pharmacy, based in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, which states on its website that it is permitted to process orders without prescriptions.
Neither company responded to requests for comment regarding the report’s findings.
Despite identifying numerous online vendors and directories that appear to facilitate access to hormone medications, the report acknowledged that investigators were unable to fully verify whether all sellers ultimately require prescriptions or age verification later in the ordering process.
Researchers wrote that while “many of these pharmacies do not appear to require a prescription or verification of a customer’s age at any point before prompting the customer to submit payment information,” it remains possible that additional checks occur after the initial purchase stage.
“It may be possible that at some point following the entry of payment information, age and prescription information is required,” the report states. “Indeed, several pharmacies included on the lists found on these transgender resource sites state that customers should mail or fax over their prescriptions after purchasing the drugs.”
The issue of youth access to gender transition treatments has drawn increasing attention from policymakers. In January 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at preventing what the administration described as “chemical and surgical mutilation” of minors.
Data compiled by the Stop The Harm Database indicates that between 2019 and 2023, 13,994 minors in the United States underwent treatments associated with sex-change procedures, according to figures cited in the report. Additional reporting on the development of pediatric guidelines surrounding such treatments was previously detailed in a Daily Caller investigation.
The Do No Harm analysis concludes that the expansion of online pharmaceutical marketplaces, combined with informational websites and do-it-yourself hormone communities, may complicate regulatory efforts intended to control access to medical treatments involving minors.
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