What Constitutes Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy basically corrects the standard hormonal homeostasis of your body. Due to various factors, your body can halt the production of certain hormones, or it might exceed the normal production. In both cases, hormone therapy is needed to correct things. Getting Male / Female Hormones In San Francisco involves administering either the hormone itself or one of its precursors. In case of excess production, certain inhibitors and antagonists are used.
How To Get Access To Estrogen Hormone Therapy
If a person decides to transition, it is essential to receive estrogen hormone therapy from healthcare professionals.
Buying and taking hormones from other sources carries many risks, such as poor quality of drugs, improper doses, and possible harm.
In order to start the process, a person must discuss their options with a healthcare professional.
Transcaresite has a directory of trans-friendly medical professionals. If an individuals healthcare insurance covers the cost of transitioning, it is important to check that the healthcare professional a person chooses is in their insurance network.
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health recommends healthcare professionals and individuals undergo several steps before starting estrogen hormone therapy.
These include:
The GLMA is the national LGBTQI+ medical association that also has provider listings for trans-affirming care.
- psychiatric, including any mental health conditions
- social, such as social support and legal history
- family, such as a history of psychiatric illnesses, suicides, and substance use
- developmental, such as education level and any history of trauma
- any instances of substance use
What Hormones Are Used To Treat The Symptoms Of Menopause
The hormones most commonly used to treat symptoms of menopause are estrogen and progesterone. . Often, these 2 hormones are used together, but some women are given estrogen alone. Its important to know which hormones you are talking about when looking at the risks.
Common estrogen preparations used to treat menopausal symptoms include conjugated equine estrogens and estradiol, but several forms or types of estrogen are available.
There are also many progestins available, but medroxyprogesterone acetate , is often used with an estrogen to treat menopausal symptoms. Some preparations contain both an estrogen and a progestin.
Androgens are also sometimes used to treat menopausal symptoms. This is not common, though, and because only a few studies have looked at this practice, it isnt clear how safe it is in the long run.
Tibolone is a synthetic hormone drug that can act like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in different tissues of the body. Because this drug isnt available in the US, its not discussed here.
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How Long Does Hormone Replacement Therapy Last
Whenever you begin taking a new prescription, there is a period where it needs to build up in your system. This can be a few hours to a couple of days.
Then, once you hit the optimal level, the type of replacement therapy will dictate how long you remain at peak level. Pellets give you the longest-lasting average level ranging from 3 to 6 months, followed by injections that typically last 1-2 weeks. Patches may last a few days, and pills a single day. Creams and gels only last a few hours.
When you choose a hormone replacement therapy, factor in how often you need to go to the doctors office, travel expenses, how often do you need a real application of the treatment, and any insurance deductibles, co-pays, or unexpected expenses. And, ask your doctor about the out-of-pocket costs, which may surprise you how much lower they are.
HTCA providers are trained to bioidentical pellet therapy, plus keep the additional costs to a minimum. They enjoy the ease of prescribing the pellets and how fast and consistently their patients experience relief.
In our opinion, even though pellets only have a cash payout option, the ease of use and the low frequency of doctors visits and application requirements needed is the most convenient and cost-effective method of treatment. You can search our list of doctors to find one near you.
Build Bridges With Your Transition Story
Any successful fundraiser starts with honest storytelling. Telling your story requires courage and authenticity, but always put your safety and privacy first. By telling your story with clarity and heart, you inspire compassion and understanding.
Think about how you frame your story. In books and movies, people care about characters who want something badly and are having trouble getting it. Dont be afraid to show your flaws: People often feel a greater connection to imperfect characters who are doing their best under extreme circumstances. For more tips on telling compelling stories that inspire others to give, take a look at our blog post on effective fundraiser storytelling.
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How Do I Find An Lgbtq+
Finding an LGBTQ+-friendly doctor is vital to ensure that you get the proper care needed for a successful transition. Several LGBTQ+ health organizations provide resources to help you find non-discriminatory healthcare providers. Find out more about how to find an LGBTQ+-friendly doctor in another one of our articles.
Symptoms Of High Estrogen Levels In Men
Here are some of the main symptoms of high estrogen levels in men:
- Infertility. Estrogen is one of the hormones your body uses to produce sperm. High estrogen levels can slow down sperm production and make it harder to create healthy sperm.
- Gynecomastia. Increased estrogen can cause more breast tissue to develop than normal. High levels can lead to the development of a condition called gynecomastia. This happens when the amount of breast fat tissue is abnormally high.
- Erectile dysfunction . Increased estrogen levels can affect the balance of hormones that are needed to help get an erection and stay erect. This is especially true if you also experience low testosterone.
- Slowed growth. Too much estrogen can result in short stature or delayed puberty in boys.
- Epiphyseal closure. This can happen in adolescents with high estrogen, causing boys to have short stature.
Other possible symptoms of high estrogen that may happen along with other hormone imbalances include:
- reduced sex drive
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Therapist And Psychologist Appointments
Before deciding to proceed with any varying degree of gender confirmation surgery, transgender people are expected to have received an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria from their doctor, and have received counselling about what a transition would look like. With the average costs of a session coming in around $260 , bi-weekly or even monthly appointments can quickly add up.
Gaht Vs Hormone Replacement Therapy
Since GAHT and hormone replacement therapy are often confused or used interchangeably, lets take a moment to differentiate them.
Hormone replacement therapy classically describes the process of prescribing hormones to cisgender people, meaning those individuals whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth, often to relieve symptoms of hormone imbalance. For example, estrogen may be prescribed to postmenopausal cisgender women to help with hot flashes.
The term HRT has often been used by the trans community to describe the process of gender-affirming hormone therapy. However, GAHT is a more accurate description of the use of hormones by trans folks because nothing is technically being replaced. The medical community who takes care of trans folks is moving away from saying HRT, and instead, is using GAHT so as not to conflate the different therapeutic practices.
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Preparation Before Taking Hormones
Before starting estrogen hormone therapy, it is important to gain as much information as possible. So always discuss the risks and side effects that hormone therapy may cause with a healthcare professional.
It is also essential that a person manages their expectations of when they will begin to see changes. Some people can take hormones for over a year before seeing any noticeable changes.
A persons healthcare provider may ask people to
The cost of estrogen hormone therapy can vary according to a range of factors. These include the type of hormones a person takes and how they use them.
A person wanting to transition must check that their health insurance covers the costs.
People must also check that the healthcare professional or medical center that their doctor has referred them to are in their insurance network.
There are several other gender-affirming procedures that people can opt for.
Delaying Puberty In Adolescents
Adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria may opt to undergo puberty-suppressing hormone therapy at the onset of puberty. The Standards of Care set forth by WPATH recommend individuals pursuing puberty-suppressing hormone therapy wait until at least experiencing Tanner Stage 2 pubertal development.Tanner Stage 2 is defined by the appearance of scant pubic hair, breast bud development, and/or slight testicular growth.WPATH classifies puberty-suppressing hormone therapy as a “fully reversible” intervention. Delaying puberty allows individuals more time to explore their gender identity before deciding on more permanent interventions and prevents the physical changes associated with puberty.
The preferred puberty-suppressing agent for both individuals assigned male at birth and individuals assigned female at birth is a GnRH Analogue. This approach temporarily shuts down the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis, which is responsible for the production of hormones that cause the development of secondary sexual characteristics in puberty. It is important for adolescents undergoing puberty-suppressing hormone therapy to be monitored by a medical professional.
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What To Expect From Estrogen Therapy
Most people first start noticing changes from estrogen like chest development and nipple tenderness at around 2 to 3 months after starting . Mental health, especially anxiety and depression, can also improve soon after starting estrogen. Some of the other changes that occur more gradually can include:
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Body fat redistribution to the outside of the body
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Softer and less oily skin
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Thinning and slowed growth of coarse body and facial hair
Most folks will max out on physical changes after taking estradiol for 2 to 5 years, but they continue taking it beyond that point to maintain the changes that have occurred and to maintain bone health.
Regarding the risks of estrogen, there has historically been a controversy over a possible increased risk of blood clots. Certain forms of estrogen like Premarin and ethinyl estradiol are known to cause blood clots.
One final risk of estrogen therapy is infertility. Over time, estrogen causes the levels of testosterone in the body to drop, which then causes changes to other body parts that are important in allowing pregnancy to occur. If preserving fertility is important to you, a reproductive specialist can help you freeze genetic material that can be used for a pregnancy later.
The Loft Lgbtq+ Community Center
The LOFT is an educational and advocacy organization dedicated to furthering LGBTQ+ rights. Their program TransMission gives out scholarships to transgender and non-binary applicants for transition-related finances. These grants are also application-based, and applications will open September-October 2022.
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Where Can I Buy Male To Female Hormones
Transfemme® male to female hormones in pill and cream forms are available online on this website. Transfemme is a completely natural system to feminize the male body to varying degrees depending on which products you use and the dosages. We recommend calling one of our advisors on our Customer Success Team at or email us at
Serms May Promote Feminine Body Shape And Changes In Skin
Similar to estradiol hormone treatment, SERMs have been found to promote changes in body composition and skin that may be desired by non-binary people AMAB. In post-menopausal cisgender women, studies have found RLX to be an estrogen receptor agonist in adipose tissue, promoting shifts from android to gynoid fat patterns and increasing fat-free mass and total body water . In this way, RLX may contribute to a more feminine body shape. In other studies of post-menopausal cisgender women, RLX has been shown to increase skin elasticity and stimulate collagen biosynthesis . Thus, RLX is likely to promote softer, more stereotypically feminine skin. Though these changes may assist in the partial feminization of a non-binary individual AMAB, the effects of SERMs on skin and body composition are not widely studied outside of the population of post-menopausal cisgender women and further research is needed.
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Lower Doses And Temporary Use
For some trans people, being on a lower dose of feminising hormones, or using them occasionally or temporarily is a part of how they seek to hormonally affirm their gender.
It can be difficult to try and implement one feminising change and not another, as once a hormonal threshold is reached, a range of secondary sex characteristics will begin to change.
This is especially the case for breast growth, which may occur even at lower estrogen levels .
Consultation with a specialist Endocrinologist may be helpful.
The use of hormonal suppression without gender affirming hormonal therapy can lead to adverse health effects, and so is to be undertaken carefully, and with regular oversight.
It is possible to achieve testosterone and estrogen hormone levels that are between the male and female ranges. However, at this point, there is little evidence for this practice as most research only considers binary gender options.
A Guide To Transgender Health, Heath R, Wynne K 4
How To Learn More
If you want to learn more about estrogen-based GAHT, the best place to start is by talking to your healthcare provider. However, if you dont have one, you can find a local gender-affirming provider near you by visiting the WPATH provider directory or checking to see if you live in a state covered by Plume, a telehealth company providing gender-affirming care, made by and for trans people.
Plume offers a mobile app where you can consult with a provider, develop an individualized treatment plan, and have your prescriptions delivered to your door, all for a flat monthly fee of $99 . You can learn more about Plumes GAHT services on their website.
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Physical Effects Of Hormone Replacement Therapy During Mtf Transitioning
As previously said, the effects from the feminizing HRT depend upon many factors, among which:
- The age of the patient when they begin HRT. If the development of the secondary sexual characteristics is still ongoing, not yet started or has ended already.
- The aesthetic goal of the patient, which can vary from a mild demasculinization to achieve an androgynous result, to a marked feminization with total demasculinization.
- The subjective response of the patient to the medications, depending upon their own physiology.
In general, the expected physical changes in the MtF transgender patients are the following :
What Are The Side Effects Of Hrt
The side effects of this therapy are important to keep in mind so that your health and well-being are appropriately monitored throughout your treatment. The side effects of masculinizing and feminizing hormone therapy can be incredibly different. The following list outlines the possible side effects you might experience when on either of these treatments.
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How Does Feminizing Hormone Therapy Work
You start by taking anti-androgens to block testosterone production. Then, after a few weeks, you take estrogen. This hormone comes in many forms, including:
People who choose feminizing hormone therapy start with a low dose of estrogen. The appropriate amount is different for each person. Your healthcare provider determines the type and dose thats right for you.
Starting with a low dose helps reduce the risk of complications and side effects. Then, as your body gets used to it, your provider will increase the dosage. After achieving the desired results, you take a lower dose for the rest of your life.
Myths About Being On Testosterone
Unfortunately, there are a ton of harmful misconceptions about testosterone treatment. Here, we dispel four of the most commonly held myths about masculinizing hormones:
Testosterone Changes Your Personality
Many people believe that testosterone can make you more aggressive and violent. But in most cases, people who believe in these kinds of effects are confusing T for steroids, which do induce a kind of roid rage in those who abuse it.
If you stick to a plan with a health care practitioner that specializes in transgender hormone therapy, you wont ever go beyond reasonable and healthy testosterone levels. Yes, taking T can induce irritability and mood swings, but this can also be because your body is adjusting to the change in hormone levels. In fact, a study found that cisgender men with low testosterone reported better mental health after starting hormone therapy.
Testosterone Stops You From Getting Pregnant
Being on masculinizing hormone treatment does not prevent pregnancy. While long-term use can stop you from ovulating, and thus stop your period from coming every month, it doesnt make you completely sterile. If you still have your ovaries, your body will still produce estrogen, the hormone that aids in fertility. As long as you still have eggs in your ovaries and a healthy level of estrogen, youre still at risk of getting pregnant.
Kids Can Start Using Hormones If They Want To
If You Identify As Trans, You Need To Be On Testosterone
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