outforhealth:

QT Says: Considering HRT? What’s right for you?There’s a lot to consider when you’re thinking about starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT), especially if you’re nonbinary, questioning or just generally not 100%, “give me hormones now” about the whole process.

Here are some questions you may have and our best answers to them. If you think of more, let us know in our ask box! (We won’t be able to answer specific medical questions about your personal care but we can share thoughts, resources, and questions!)

1. What does testosterone/estrogen do to my body, anyway?  

Good question. Take a look for yourself!

2. Okay, that’s fine, but what if I don’t want all of that right away?

You get to decide what’s right for you! For some people, it can be a bit overwhelming to think about ALL of the changes – some of them may seem exciting, others not so much. One of the things you get to do (need to do!) as a person considering hormones is weigh the pros and cons of all of the changes and decide what feels like the right path for you. You can do that on your own, with a mental health counselor, with your care provider. Thinking it through and making an informed decision for you is incredibly important.

(Some of our patients benefit greatly from therapy and report positive experiences and that’s important. However, at PPSFL we do not require our patients go to therapy to prove their true gender, or to get permission to change their bodies. One of the ways we approach our transgender services program at our health center is called an Informed Consent Model. That means you get to decide what is right for you and we support what you choose for you.)

Some of our patients are very happy on a smaller dose of hormones; others feel better on a higher maintenance dose. We have rules (called medical protocols) that give us guidelines but we work with our individual patients to make sure they are comfortable with their care and hormone plan.

We find that most of our patients are really good at figuring out how they ~feel~ on hormones, emotionally and psychologically, before some of the bigger changes occur. The key is to keep checking in with yourself. How do you feel? What’s going on for you? Does this feel exciting and like a “click” of cool, yes, THIS! Or are you feeling ambivalent like, huh, sure, I guess, maybe? If you’re feeling less enthused we recommend chatting with your care provider and deciding what’s right for you. You get to choose when to start, if you wish to continue, and help make decisions about your dosage. You get to choose. It’s your body! The time it takes for some changes to occur can be good news and/or bad news for some folk. The good news is you have some time to see how you feel. The bad news can be the waiting.

3. Okay, my dude, but what if I want to stop taking hormones. Can I do that? Will I explode?

Yes, you can stop taking HRT, and no, you will not explode. That said, like with most medication, just stopping taking it, cold turkey-style, is not a thing we recommend. 

Talk to your care provider about how you want to stop and you can come up with a plan together on how to lower your dose or take you off HRT. We look at your care as a partnership. We are experts in a lot of things when it comes to health but you are the expert on you and how you feel. 

4. Can I just take, like, a smaller dose of HRT, but permanently?

Yes. Most providers start their patients on a lower dose and then make adjustments based on the patient’s experience and medical protocols. Key thing here: what’s right for you? People take different doses of HRT for a multitude of reasons, and “I just want to see how I feel” is a totally valid reason to stay on a lower dose for a few weeks, a few months, and also forever. Neutrois has written extensively on this topic, from their POV.

5. If I stop taking HRT, which changes are permanent?

For trans men/ transmasculine folks, the irreversible (won’t change back to how they were before taking HRT) changes may include:

• Deepening of the voice
• Growth of facial and body hair
• Changes in hair (possible hair loss, thinning, or male pattern baldness)
• Growth/changes in genital erectile tissue (clitoris)
• Breast tissue atrophy – possible shrinking and/or softening of tissue

For trans women/ transfeminine folks, the irreversible (won’t change back to how they were before taking HRT) changes may include:

• If sperm production has ceased it may not return if hormone treatments are stopped; it may be irreversible (this can depend on length of time and dosage on HRT).
• breast development/growth

Bottom line, if you are considering HRT and wondering what’s right for you, you get to decide!  Ask a ton of questions. Read a bunch. Talk to your care provider and ask all the questions you have (write them down before you go for an appointment to help you remember them!). Good luck and take good care!

(via freedarick)