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Types of Transgender Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy for trans men (those who have transitioned or are transitioning to men) and trans women (those who have or currently are transitioning into women) involves taking testosterone or estrogen. These hormone therapies differ for the different groups, and the effects on individuals vary but will generally produce the same results.

  1. Testosterone for Female-to Male (FTM) Trans Men

    • Testosterone is most popularly injected into muscle with a syringe, although other methods of administering testosterone (often referred to as "T" in the trans community) is with pellets under the skin, pills, or gels and creams applied to the skin. Testosterone will need to be administered at regular intervals for a lifetime because the body will not begin to produce it on its own.

    Effects of Testosterone

    • Testosterone will cause the menstrual cycle to stop, increased hair growth throughout the body, a deepening of the voice, an enlarged clitoris, redistribution of body fat from the hips and buttocks to the belly, enlarged musculature, roughening of the skin, increased libido and increased oil in the skin, which can lead to acne.

    Estrogen Therapy for Male to Female (MTF) Trans Women

    • Estrogen can be taken with intramuscular injections, pills or skin gels. There have been some complications with trans women developing blood clots from intramuscular injections and oral pills, so trans women over 40 generally are advised to use the gel form of estrogen, also knows as transdermal application.

      Trans women also frequently take anti-androgens, which will block the male hormones their body naturally produces. Hormone levels for both estrogen and anti-androgens will vary based on the individual and must be monitored by a doctor.

    Effects of Estrogen and Anti-Androgen Hormone Therapy

    • After taking estrogen and anti-androgens, a trans woman will notice the following effects: softening of the skin, redistribution of body fat and an increased body fat, shrinking of the penis, decrease in muscle mass and loss of ability to produce or sustain an erection. After taking these hormones for a year or more, body hair growth will slow, and breasts may grow slightly. Male-pattern baldness will also slow. Any breast growth that does occur will be permanent even if a trans woman chooses to stop taking estrogen and anti-androgens.

    What Estrogen and Testosterone Will Not Do

    • Testosterone will generally not cause someone to grow taller (although this has been reported slightly in FTM individuals under 25). It will not cause the breasts to disappear and will not create a male penis. Many trans men do choose to undergo "top surgery," which is removal of the breasts followed by chest reconstruction. Much less frequently, trans men will undergo a phalloplasty to surgically create a penis.

      Estrogen will not cause a trans woman's voice to change to higher pitch or cause other permanent physical body structures to change such as height or bone size.

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