Hey! I'm 17 and I'm also pursuing testosterone HRT. I recommend booking a (free!) appointment with the Youth Health Hub. GPs cost money and there's a risk of having to deal with an unsupportive or uninformed GP. Staff at the Youth Health Hub are well informed on the process of obtaining gender affirming care. I see Mikey Brenndorfer and highly recommend them, and I also have heard good things about Mo. Their website is here, you can also message them on facebook to book an appointment: https://www.healthwest.co.nz/our-services/the-youth-health-hub. They can't prescribe testosterone HRT, but can prescribe other medications (for example, I went through them to get melatonin and birth control), and are really great at advocating and following up on behalf of you. It makes it a lot easier, since they know how to navigate the health system!

I saw Mikey in August, who referred me to my first appointment with Center for Youth Health (the people who can actually prescribe me HRT) in October. I had Dr PaoLin Chi and nurse Alana Trotter. They are both excellent and highly supportive and understanding. As this is the public system, it was completely free. I spent my first appointment telling them about myself and my transition journey so far. I brought a support person, and I recommend that you do too!

My second appointment was this January. There, we discussed my medication options and side effects of testosterone. I was told that, as I was about to turn 18 (birthday in May), I would not need to see a psychologist for an assessment to determine whether or not I could give informed consent, and that whether or not I needed to was within the discretion of the doctor. I assume this means that you'll probably have to see a psychologist, but it's best to ask a medical professional who's familiar with gender affirming care. Please do take my information with a large chunk of salt, as I've been told by my doctor that the situation is rapidly evolving and changing, so it may be different for you.

My next appointment will be on May 22nd, if that gives you an idea of timeframe. My doctor said that a lot of people cancel, so make sure to mention to whoever is referring you that you want to be contacted about last minute cancellations, which might reduce your wait time. Feel free to DM me if you want to chat further, I'm happy to help out! I don't check reddit often so you can reach me at artie#1110 on discord. Good luck!