Hormone replacement therapy is a form of therapeutic treatment often used for the treatment of menopausal women, postmenopausal women, men with erectile dysfunction, transgender individuals and others needing to balance their hormones to restore their quality of life. This amazing form of therapy involves supplementing an individual’s inadequate or imbalanced hormones and returning them to healthy baseline levels. Healthy hormones are a healthy human. Hormone therapy is often desired by transgender men and women throughout their transition process to aid in the transition. Even so, many people can benefit from this wonderful type of therapy as low, irregular or excess hormones are associated with many adverse physical and emotional health effects.
How Do You Know if You Need Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Here are some signs you might need hormone replacement therapy to restore your body to its healthiest possible state:
- Chronic fatigue
- Waking up Tired
- Insomnia
- Trouble Losing Weight
- Hair Loss/Alopecia
- Low libido
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Depression/Anxiety
- Slow wound healing
The list goes on! Hormones deal with our brains, our metabolisms, our guts, our energy, our sex drive. They deal with everything. Hormones are vital to maintaining healthy lives. That is why if an individual suspects something may be out of whack, it’s best to get their hormones checked out, just in case. Transgender individuals might need treatment plans that focus on their sex hormones. Cross-sex hormones can help these individuals transition socially and can boost self-confidence and self-esteem.
Are There Hormone Replacement Therapy Clinics Specifically for Transgender Individuals?
Most Hormone Replacement Therapy Clinics will gladly welcome transgender individuals and work with them to carefully develop personalized treatment plans following an initial consultation. If a transgender individual is unsure if a clinic would be right for them, it is recommended that individual call the clinic first to ensure that specific hormone replacement therapy clinic can adequately meet his or her expectations. Alternatively, there are transgender care specialists that have their practice set up to specifically cater to transgender individuals desiring hormone therapy. These clinics specifically cater to transgender individuals. Some of these practices even offer pre and post-surgical care options along with individualized hormone therapy treatment plans.
Hormone Replacement Therapy and Health
No matter what your gender identity is, healthy hormone levels are not optional for someone desiring to achieve full wellness, they are a must! Many in the transgender community consider this type of therapy as a vital component of the entire transition process. For example, transgender men often seek to be treated with exogenous testosterone. Transgender women seek to minimize the effects of androgenic hormones by utilizing anti-androgen therapy. This therapy truly works wonders and is definitely worth seeking out for those who want to see results.
The Roles of Estrogen and Testosterone in the Treatment of Transgender Individuals
Testosterone is known as the male sex hormone. Women have (and need!) testosterone to retain a healthy sex drive but their levels are generally lower then that of men’s. Testosterone therapy is used to overcome female sex characteristics and further emasculate transgender men. Estrogens are the primary hormone therapy recommended for transgender women. This therapy can encourage breast formation and discourage the undesirable effects of androgens, like male-pattern hair growth. Even so, estrogen might not be enough to significantly lower androgen production and specific anti-androgen therapies are often needed to work alongside estrogen. Overall, hormone therapy has been hailed by those in the transgender community. These therapies have been shown to have positive effects on mental health, quality of life, and sexual life.
Still Not Sure if Hormone Replacement Therapy is Right For You?
There are varieties of care options for those interested as hormone replacement therapy. Those who are wary about this form of therapy are encouraged to book a consultation or speak with a representative to answer any questions they might have. Each individual has unique health needs and will be listened to and treated as an individual. When choosing a provider, it is imperative that you agree to work with someone who is a licensed specialist. There are many generic treatment methods out there. However, it is best to receive personalized treatment in order to maximize results. If you still remain unsure about hormone replacement therapy, we can help. Please feel free to call us now at (205) 352-9141. Every individual is welcome. We pride ourselves in giving hope to our patients!
