Should I Start HRT?
Curious about how Hormone Replacement Therapy affects your transition? This guide will help you learn what it means to start your medical transition at any age.
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HRT is the first step in any Medical Transition.
In any gender transition, there are three separate areas: social, legal, and medical. HRT is your first medical intervention – it stop your body’s current hormone production and replaces it with that of the other sex. This process has significant biological affects that change the development of your body, from that point on, to the sexual characteristics of the opposite sex.
The Role of Doctors
HRT is something that should only be started with the approval of a qualified doctor. Your body will undergo significant changes, and without regular bloodwork, baseline tests, and medical history taken into account, HRT can have potentially dangerous affects.
New Hormones
HRT is all about giving your body the hormone system of the opposite sex. For Women of a Transgender Experience (MtF), the new hormone is estrogen. For Men (FtM), the new hormone is testosterone.
There are a few different ways to deliver this new hormone into your body. At your doctor's discretion, you will either have it injected, be given a cream to use, or take oral tablets daily.
Hormone Blockers
Testosterone is a stubborn hormone than Estrogen. For Trans Women, Estrogen is almost always prescribed "Progesterone" to stop your body from developing testosterone.
For Trans Men, the new testosterone is often strong enough on it's own to overwhelm the estrogen in the body.
Looking to Feminize?
Learn how Estrogen and Progesterone work together to feminize the body at any age.
Looking to Masculinize?
Learn how Testosterone works to create a more masculine appearance.
Need to find a doctor?
Explore our global database today to find a provider of HRT in your area.