PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER TEXAS
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Revised 03/28/18 PPGT3718 Implemented 03/30/18
Z:\Health Center Operations\CURRENT FORMS\Transgender Care 37\PPGT3718 How to Give Yourself a Hormone Injection - Subcutaneous (SubQ).docx
9. Keeping the needle in the vial, use your other hand to turn the vial upside-down. Do not let go of the vial!
10. Position the needle so the liquid is covering the tip of the needle.
11. Keep the vial upside-down and slowly pull back on the plunger until the syringe is filled with the number (mL or cc)
that matches the dose your clinician prescribed you. As you remove the medication from the vial, the level in the
bottle decreases. You may have to lower the needle below the fluid level to draw up as much medication as you need
(see Figure 2).
12. Keeping the needle in the vial, check for air bubbles in the syringe. If there are air bubbles, gently tap the syringe with
your fingers until the air bubbles rise to the top of the syringe. Then, slowly push the plunger up to force the air
bubbles out of the syringe without removing the needle from the bottle (see Figure 3).
13. After air bubbles are gone, pull the plunger slightly past the number (mL or cc) on the syringe that matches your dose.
14. Pull the 18 or 20 syringe with needle out of the bottle.
15. Remove the needle and put it into the sharps container without recapping it.
16. Hold the 25 or 26 gauge needle by the packaging or the cap and place it securely on the syringe.
a. Do not touch the base of the needle that attaches to the syringe.
b. Do not remove the protective cap from the needle until you are ready to inject.
17. Gently push the plunger to the number (mL or cc) matching your dose, making sure that you have the correct dose in
the syringe. It is very important that you use the exact dose prescribed by your clinician.
Step 3: Select the injection site
There are three areas you can pick for your injection site (see Figure 4).
It is extremely important to rotate sites to keep the skin healthy.
Repeated injections in the same spot can cause scarring and hardening
of fatty tissue that will interfere with absorption of medication.
1. Abdomen, at or under the level of the belly button.
a. To find where to inject, place your hands on your lower ribs.
b. Use the area below your hands for injections. You can use any
area you can pinch fatty tissue.
c. Do not use the area directly around your bellybutton. Make sure
your injection is at least 1 inch away from it.
2. Back or side of the upper arm.
a. To find where to inject, fold one arm across your chest.
b. Place your other hand on your shoulder and draw an imaginary
line below your hand. You can draw this line with a marker if it
helps you.
c. Move your hand to your elbow and draw another imaginary line
above your hand. You can draw this line with a marker if it helps
you.
d. Use the area between the imaginary lines on the back of your
arm for injections. You can use any area you can pinch fatty
tissue.
3. Front of the thigh.
a. To find where to inject, sit down.
b. Place your hand above your knee and draw an imaginary line
above it. You can draw this line with a marker if it helps you.
c. Place your hand at the very top of your thigh and draw an
imaginary line above it. You can draw this line with a marker if it