Imago Bulletin #005

Dear Imago Members and Supporters,

This Quarterly Bulletin #005 comes with a lot of exciting news and important improvements for our community! Our team worked very intensely on it and today I am proud to share the results with you. So, without any further ado…

Triumphs

• From the very beginning, I intended Imago to be more than “just” a clinic. I dreamed of creating, as some of you may remember from your welcome calls, “a true safe space online for our community”, a platform not only free from far-right trolls or transphobes of all sorts – but also free from power-hungry predators among us, usurping the right to decide who is trans enough and who is not, excluding again already excluded individuals. Building that platform is a huge endevour, far more challenging than even our clinic. Only a few days into July, we launched our long promised (and even longer requested) peer support groups and a social networking server, making thus the crucial transitional step towards making our goal come true. I am very excited to say, it turned out to be a great success, and I am deeply moved by seeing how our community flourishes!

• We can successfully use our electronic prescriptions in Ireland, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. We have had limited success with this in other countries so far but have a few patients scattered across the rest of Europe using these successfully so it can still be worth checking with the local pharmacy. For our UK members, we have partnered with a pharmacy called Live Well, so you can give your electronic prescription token directly to the via email and have the medication shipped to you. They offer several shipping options to choose from:
  - Standard delivery (2–3 working days)
  - Express delivery (1–2 working days)
  - Special delivery (guaranteed next day)
  How to use? Check in our FAQ (And yes, despite rather hostile environment, we are working on solutions for our patients from Nordic countries! We hope to announce more partnerships soon.)

• We finally have a dedicated unit to support our patients whose rights are violated. Already low number of transphobic discrimination incidents at pharmacies got further and significantly reduced. We are here to back you up! (And we will not be satisfied until we bring the number down to zero)

• We proudly copy-paste from the last Bulletin: “Imago offers the fastest access to trans healthcare in Europe, while staying true to its goal and principle of providing medically legitimate and safe therapies.” (…) “no prescription was left rejected, even in famously trans-hostile countries”.

Failures & Challenges

• We still couldn’t find a reliable partners and workable solutions for one of the biggest pains you report: horrendous and outrageous costs third-parties impose on you for blood tests. Sadly, the approach of many is purely capitalistic and ruthless: they know they can exploit you and squeeze the money out of you so they are reluctant to even consider discounts. Still, we hope to succeed in achieving this goal nevertheless. Our strategy is transparent: the winner (among them) takes it all.

• Malta still is undoubtably and by far the most trans-friendly jurisdiction in Europe. However, it is less friendly in terms of fiscal friendliness and general system transparency, predictability and reliability. Before this year ends, we will have to make a very difficult decision. The choice will be: increase our prices (with none of that money fuelling Imago, our mission, or supporting the community or our team – Malta wiould take it all) or invest time and resources in developing new setup in another jurisdiction (with all sorts of problems such step may entail). Legal safety is among our top priorities and we will proceed with that goal guiding us. I am going to keep you posted.

Imago recruits doctors willing to join our team and make the world a better place! If you know a doctor interested, just send us a message.

With pride, confidence, and love 💙🤍🩷
Zofia

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