Hormone Replacement Therapy for FTM Transgenders

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Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the first phase of the physical transformation of the body. It allows, in the case of an F-to-M transgender, to change a female hormonal profile into a male’s. This phase is often monitored by an endocrinologist who also follows up the patient. The treatment can be provided by a general physician as well.

Androtardyl is an androgen consisting of 250 mg of testosterone enanthate “dissolved” in 1 ml of sesame oil. It’s the most prescribed solution in Lebanon for masculinizing hormone therapies because it’s the only product available in the country.

Contraindications: It is incompatible with all hepatic problems (liver disease), renal or heart problems, and anticoagulant injections (risk of hematoma). It is not recommended in cases of hyper-aggression. There’s no risk of overdose or interaction with other medicinal products.

Allergy Risks: Think of informing your endocrinologist of all your known allergies. If you’re allergic to sesame, this product may be dangerous to you. HRT is a very important treatment, which requires a regular and constant follow-up by a good physician. To ensure the smoothest possible hormone transition, many endocrinologists prefer to opt for a progressive dosage.

Here’s one of the possible progressions for an Androtardyl-based treatment:

• 1 injection per month for 2 months
• 1 injection every 3 weeks for 2 months
• 1 injection every 2 weeks

It’s very important to listen to your body and pay attention to all the strange changes your body experiences. Hormones affect so many things in your body; the dosage must be adapted to your needs. Do not hesitate to contact your physician to let them know about what you’re experience or feeling.

To verify the evolution of your transition, you must normally do a blood test every 6 months or more often, depending on the case. Not only do the blood tests allow you to avoid an overdose or underdose of testosterone, they also help you monitor other elements that may be affected by the treatment. That’s why the cholesterol level, liver, thyroid and blood fluidity are regularly controlled between once and twice per year.

With age, women encounter menopause. Contrary to belief, men, too, experience a similar phenomenon: andropause or male menopause. The natural secretion of testosterone decreases with age, which affects the person’s balance, morale, and health. Depending on the case, andropause can be treated with supplementing testosterone injections. Menopause is as undesirable by M-to-F transgender persons as the andropause is by F-to-M transgender persons. Testosterone levels must remain constant until the end for the patient’s well-being.

Remember that Hormone Replacement Therapy alone is not enough to turn you into the Apollo you dream of, but that’s a different subject altogether. You will find more inforamtion about this in the upcoming issues of Bekhsoos.

Translated from French by Joelle

Tags: Health, hormones, transsexual