Hrt Male To Female Hormones

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.

What Changes Can I Expect From Feminizing Hormone Therapy

People assigned male at birth produce low levels of estrogen. Feminizing hormone therapy brings about physical and emotional changes that are more consistent with feminine anatomy and behavior.

With this treatment, you will receive hormones and other substances. They include anti-androgens medication, estrogen and possibly progesterone.

Anti-androgen therapy blocks male sex hormone production.

Changes from anti-androgen therapy include:

When Will These Physical Changes Occur

According to a , a person can expect a decrease in sexual desire and function within 13 months. However, these changes can take 36 years to reach their maximum effect.

After 36 months, a person can expect:

• a decrease in muscle mass

• alleviation of gender dysphoria

The UCSF state that a person may notice that they experience a wider range of emotions. They may also develop different tastes and interests. These emotional changes should settle.

During this time, some people might find it helpful to talk to a mental health professional to help explore and understand these new emotions and thoughts.

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Effects Of Testosterone And Estrogen

Many trans men seek maximum virilization, while others desire suppression of their natal secondary sex characteristics only. As a result, hormone therapy can be tailored to a patients transition goals, but must also take into account their medical comorbidities and the risks associated with hormone use.

The following changes are expected after estrogen is initiated: breast growth, increased body fat, slowed growth of body and facial hair, decreased testicular size and erectile function. The extent of these changes and the time interval for maximum change varies across patients and may take up to 18 to 24 months to occur. Use of anti-androgenic therapy as an adjunct helps to achieve maximum change.

Hormone therapy improves transgender patients quality of life . Longitudinal studies also show positive effects on sexual function and mood . There is biologic evidence that may explain this. Kranz et al. have looked at the acute and chronic effects of estrogen and testosterone on serotonin reuptake transporter binding in trans men and women. SERT expression has been shown to be reduced in individuals with major depression . Kranz et al. found that androgen treatment in transmen increased SERT binding in several places in the brain and anti-androgen and estrogen therapy led to decreases in regional SERT binding in trans women. These types of data are preliminary, but do point to the important role of hormone therapy in patients who suffer from gender dysphoria.

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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Hrt Timeline And Effects: Hormone Replacement Therapy Info

by GenderGP | Jul 13, 2021 | Medical

HRT has a timeline. The results dont happen instantly. If youre considering hormone replacement therapy, or just starting them for the first time, its important to know what effects to expect and when to expect them. Bear in mind that everyone is different and that not everyone will have the same journey. These timescales are rough estimates to give you a sense of how the transition might progress. Here, we explore the FTM testosterone changes timeline and MTF HRT effect timeline.

*Please note: We use terminology like AMAB , MtF , and trans-feminine interchangeably for understanding across all age groups, cultures, genders, and identities. For more information. check out our glossary of terms. youll see us use it here with the likes of FTM testosterone changes timeline and MTF HRT effect timeline.

Typical Changes From Estrogen

Table source: Gender Affirming Hormones Prescribers Guide, Version 2, August 2019

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Health Risks Of Serms

Common side effects of SERMs include hair loss, nausea, mood disturbance, and hot flashes . In addition, long-term use of SERMs have been associated with several other risks, all of which are important to consider when balancing their potential use as a gender affirming treatment.

First, as previously observed with estrogen replacement therapy for postmenopausal cisgender women , an increased risk of thromboembolic events has been associated with SERM use. RLX has been shown to increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis by up to 54% and the risk of pulmonary embolism by 91% . Similar data is available for tamoxifen . Whether the rates of stroke and myocardial infarctions are also increased remains unclear, with previous studies showing inconsistent results .

Secondly, long-term SERM use has been associated with hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis , as well as altered glucose metabolism and increased risk of diabetes . In a 12-year longitudinal study involving over 22,000 cisgender women with breast cancer, a 31% increased diabetes risk was observed in tamoxifen users versus non-users . Notably, the majority of SERM-based metabolic studies have been conducted on cisgender women with and without breast cancer . Whether similar metabolic effects would occur in those AMAB is unclear.

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What Treatments Are Available For A Female Hormone Imbalance

Discovering that your hormone levels are not where they should be can be disheartening. The good news is that treatments are available to address abnormal hormone levels.

Many of these treatments have the added benefit of alleviating symptoms as well.

Treatment options include:

• Vaginal estrogen: This can come from creams, tablets, and rings. Vaginal estrogen addresses your hormone levels while relieving vaginal dryness, a common symptom.
• Hormone replacement medications: These help temporarily alleviate severe symptoms connected to menopause, like hot flashes.
• Eflornithine : A prescription cream that can slow excessive hair growth in women.
• Anti-androgen medication: These operate as a blocker for androgen, a male sex hormone. It can help reduce severe acne as well as excessive hair growth or loss.
• Hormone or birth control: If you arent actively trying to get pregnant, these medications contain forms of estrogen and progesterone that can help regulate irregular menstrual cycles.
• Clomiphene and Letrozole : These may help stimulate ovulation in patients that suffer from PCOS and are trying to become pregnant.
• IVF: May help those with PCOS complications related to becoming pregnant.

Additional medications, natural remedies, and dietary supplements may also help address female hormone imbalances or symptoms. Lifestyle changes such as increased water intake, proper rest and nutrition, and physical activity can also tremendously impact your hormone levels.

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How Does A Testosterone Test For Males Work

Testosterone is an important hormone that plays many roles in mens bodies.

Symptoms of testosterone imbalance can include:

• An increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease

However, patients with normal total testosterone levels may still have symptoms due to elevated free testosterone levels.

A testosterone test measures the amount of testosterone in the body and looks for low, normal, or high levels of this hormone. The results may be used to determine any issues with the testes, pituitary gland, or hypothalamus gland.

What Hormones Are Used For Male To Female Transition

Lupron, spironolactone, bicalutamide, flutamide, finasteride are normally prescribed hormones for a male to female transition. Lupron is given intramuscularly every sixty days to block total testosterone levels. This is an expensive treatment and insurance rarely pays for this. Finasteride reverses male pattern baldness because it blocks dihydrotestosterone , it does not block overall testosterone. We recommend using Transfemme® to cause your testosterone to aromatize into estrogen naturally to create MTF estradiol. What happens when a man takes female hormones? Female hormones can cause side effects in men, before taking prescription drugs you should carefully decide if these risks are acceptable and how much risk you may have based on age, weight, family history. The effects of estrogen on the male body are significant and the benefits should outweigh the risks when considering altering your hormones with prescription hormones.

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A Note About Sex And Gender

Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms male, female, or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. .

Estrogen hormone therapy involves an individual assigned male at birth taking the hormone estrogen to develop certain feminine characteristics.

Estrogen stops the pituitary gland from forming gonadotropin, which reduces androgen production. Androgens are a group of hormones that help with reproductive development, among other things. Reducing the number of androgens in the body helps a person transition by encouraging changes in fat distribution, breast development, and male pattern hair growth.

Doctors may also prescribe other anti-androgen drugs to help the transitioning process.

A person may not notice significant changes when starting estrogen hormone therapy. The timeline varies, and some people may see more significant changes than others.

People may notice more changes if they use anti-androgen therapy alongside estrogen therapy.

Estrogen hormone therapy can cause physical changes.

What To Know About Transgender Hormone Therapy Side Effects

Alto Pharmacy

For many transgender men and women, hormone replacement therapy is an important component of their transitioning process, allowing them to develop physical traits aligned with their gender identity. Taking this step to feel more comfortable in your body is a big decision, and there are many factors to consider as you determine if gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy is right for you.

Below is an overview of hormone replacement therapy medications and side effects to help you learn more about the process.

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Search Strategy And Selection Criteria

This systematic review was conducted in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two electronic searches of four online databases were completed 15 months apart. The first was performed by BSK in January 2019 and the second by JH in April 2020. The two sets of search results were compared by GLW. The second search identified novel data from three additional studies using the same cohorts as three studies identified in the first search. The more recent search also identified three additional recent papers. Reference lists were also searched for additional citations pertinent to the review. The searches combined terms related to transwomen, GAHT, muscle and blood parameters .

Working With Young Trans People & Families

A Family Court of Australia ruling , the medical practitioner and the young person themselves with regard to:

• The Gillick competence of an adolescent or

• A diagnosis of gender dysphoria or

• Proposed treatment for gender dysphoria

Any dispute requires a mandatory application to the Family Court of Australia as per the judgement of Re. Imogen 20206.

Medical practitioners seeing patients under the age of 18 are unable to initiate puberty blockers or gender affirming hormonal treatment without first ascertaining whether or not a childs parents or legal guardians consent to the proposed treatment. If there is a dispute about consent or treatment, a doctor should not administer puberty blockers , hormones or surgical intervention without court authorisation.

Increasing evidence demonstrates that with supportive, gender affirming care during childhood and adolescence, harms can be ameliorated and mental health and wellbeing outcomes can be significantly improved.

Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for trans and gender diverse children and adolescents 7

For trans people under 18 whose parents, carers or guardians will not consent to starting hormones, the Family Court must be involved. Unfortunately, in many cases where parents, carers or guardians do not consent, this may result in a trans person simply waiting until they are 18 to access puberty blockers and hormones, or seeking to access them outside of medical care and oversight.

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Fertility & Birth Control

You may think that youve stopped making sperm or eggs. But you may still have the ability to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant. Depending on the type of sex you have, you may still need to use birth control to prevent pregnancy.

Taking transgender hormones can change your reproductive system and make it hard to have your own baby. We can work with you on your options for saving your sperm or eggs.

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

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Puberty Blockers And Cross

Puberty blockers pause the physical changes of puberty, such as breast development or facial hair.

Little is known about the long-term side effects of hormone or puberty blockers in children with gender dysphoria.

Although GIDS advises this is a physically reversible treatment if stopped, it is not known what the psychological effects may be.

It’s also not known whether hormone blockers affect the development of the teenage brain or children’s bones. Side effects may also include hot flushes, fatigue and mood alterations.

From the age of 16, teenagers who’ve been on hormone blockers for at least 12 months may be given cross-sex hormones, also known as gender-affirming hormones.

These hormones cause some irreversible changes, such as:

• breast development
• breaking or deepening of the voice

Long-term cross-sex hormone treatment may cause temporary or even permanent infertility.

However, as cross-sex hormones affect people differently, they should not be considered a reliable form of contraception.

There is some uncertainty about the risks of long-term cross-sex hormone treatment.

Male And Female Hormones

As I mentioned earlier, men do produce estrogen and progesterone, which are commonly known as female hormones. And women produce testosterone, often seen as the male hormone. This may be shocking to some of you yet its true! Men and women share these three sex hormones, along with insulin and cortisol.

Too little or too much of these male or female hormones can have a cascading effect on the others. Male and female hormones are generally created by the endocrine system which includes the pineal gland, pituitary gland, pancreas, ovaries, testes, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, hypothalamus, and adrenal glands.

When these organs function optimally, they produce just the right amount of the male and female hormones needed to carry out various processes throughout your body. However, it only takes a slight change in the level of hormones to cause an issue,1 so it is best to spot the signs and symptoms of imbalances early so you can take preventative measures quickly to get these back in check. Ill discuss the signs of a hormonal imbalance later. First, lets look closer at these five hormones and explore what they do.

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Just Because You Heard That X Happened To Some Trans Girl On The Internet That Doesnt Mean That X Is Going To Happen To You

Every persons body is highly individual, and hormones are never going to have the same effect on two different people.

• some women have big boobs
• some women have small boobs
• some women have really wide hips
• some women have narrower hips.

These things apply to both CIS women and TRANS women. Theres no such thing as a singular female body. if youre a woman sis or trans you have a female body.

but I know that that reassurance alone isnt going to get rid of your dysphoria so do what you got to do to alleviate your dysphoria.

just remember not to get caught up in the endless quest of chasing a perfectly female body because there is no such thing.

If youre looking into HRT,

=> > Spironolactone< < > > Estradiol< < =

or just getting started on it, I really hope that it works out well for you. if youre currently unable to get on HRT I want you to know that youre not alone there are other trans girls out there and your exact position too and things will be okay lots of people are out here fighting to make HRT more accessible every day I really hope and believe that youll be able to access the care you need one day in the meantime youre still a badass woman whos just as valid as any chick on HRT.

Check out our in-depth article on the Most Effective Testosterone Blockers

Im Writing this as an educational resource for trans girls and questioning folks out there but it is not about my personal experiences, thats all I had for you today.