HORMONE THERAPY

for Gender Affirmation and Transition

“When I started my transition, I would purchase hormones from close friends who had a health care provider that specialized in hormone therapy. I didn’t have much knowledge of gender affirming care or the correct dose for my body, I only followed the advice of other transwomen in my circle who I trusted. It wasn’t until I started seeing a healthcare professional that provided gender affirming care when I learned in detail the Pros and Cons to hormone therapy. A few years ago, I was advised to stop taking hormones for a while due to other health concerns, it was a precautionary measure that I would not have taken had I not been seeing a healthcare provider that offered gender affirming care at their establishment."

JASMINE

It is important to know that being trans is not dependent upon medical procedures.

Hormone therapy is a form of therapy in which sex hormones and other hormonal medications are administered to trans or gender nonconforming individuals for the purpose of more closely aligning their secondary sexual characteristics with their gender identity. This form of hormone therapy is given as one of two types, based on whether the goal of treatment is feminization or masculinization.

Some intersex people may also undergo hormone therapy, either starting in childhood to confirm the sex they were assigned at birth, or later to align their sex with their gender identity. Non-binary or genderqueer people may also undergo hormone therapy to achieve a desired balance of sex hormones.

Many transgender people are prescribed hormones by their doctors to change their bodies; some undergo surgeries, but not all transgender people can or will take those steps. It is important to know that being trans does not dependent upon medical procedures.

“I started hormones off the black market. We didn’t have doctors back then. I started taking hormones to see myself how I envisioned myself. I wanted the outside to be like the inside. I wanted to exude femininity. A pro is that you can see the effects in a positive matter. Your hair and nails get longer and I developed into what I always was. The con is the fucking mood swings, hot flashes and instability. The hunger and weight watching is not fun. In the early days, also, the lack of knowledge on how to get them.”

Malaysia

Feminizing Hormone Therapy

Feminizing hormone therapy – for transgender women or transfeminine people; consists of estrogens and antiandrogens

Estrogen is the primary female sex hormone. It is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three major endogenous estrogens in females that have estrogenic hormonal activity: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). Estradiol, an estrane, is the most potent and prevalent. Another estrogen called estetrol (E4) is produced only during pregnancy.

Estrogens are synthesized in all vertebrates. and some insects. Their presence in both vertebrates and insects suggests that estrogenic sex hormones have an ancient evolutionary history. Quantitatively, estrogens circulate at lower levels than androgens in both men and women. While estrogen levels are significantly lower in males compared to females, estrogens nevertheless have important physiological roles in males.

Like all steroid hormones, estrogens readily diffuse across the cell membrane. Once inside the cell, they bind to and activate estrogen receptors (ERs) which in turn moderate the expression of many genes. Additionally, estrogens bind to and activate rapid signaling membrane estrogen receptors (mERs), such as GPER (GPR30). In addition to their role as natural hormones, estrogens are used as medications, for instance, in menopausal hormone therapy and hormonal birth control. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrogen

Masculinizing Hormone Therapy

Masculinizing hormone therapy – for transgender men or transmasculine people; consists of androgens

Some intersex people may also undergo hormone therapy, either starting in childhood to confirm the sex they were assigned at birth, or later to align their sex with their gender identity. Non-binary or genderqueer people may also undergo hormone therapy to achieve a desired balance of sex hormones.

Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and anabolic steroid. In male humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass, and the growth of body hair. In addition, testosterone is involved in health and well-being, and the prevention of osteoporosis. Insufficient levels of testosterone in men may lead to abnormalities including fragility and bone loss.

Testosterone is a steroid from the androstane class holding a keto and hydroxyl groups at positions three and seventeen, respectively. It is biosynthesized in several steps from cholesterol and is converted in the liver to inactive metabolites. It exerts its action through binding to and activation of the androgen receptor.^[7] In humans and most other vertebrates, testosterone is secreted primarily by the testicles of males and, to a lesser extent, the ovaries of females. On average, in adult males, levels of testosterone are about seven to eight times as great as in adult females. As the metabolism of testosterone in males is more pronounced, the daily production is about 20 times greater in men. Individuals who were assigned female at birth are also more sensitive to the hormone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testosterone

“For me, you have to be careful not to take too much. When I take them, they make me emotional and can put me in a depressed mood. That can make me feel sentimental, moody, and lonely.”