Gender affirming hormone therapy is a vital part of healthcare. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own bodies and feel seen as they are on the inside.
Gender affirming hormone therapy includes hormones that make you more feminine and hormones that cause masculine changes.
Feminizing Hormone Therapy
For feminizing hormone therapy, we use estrogen, progesterone, and medications that block testosterone to cause changes to the body that make the physical appearance more feminine. This is typically used by patients who are assigned male at birth and identify as female or non-binary.
Estrogen can be taken as pills, patches, or injections. It will create breast tissue growth and a decrease in testicular volume. Some people notice mood changes, typically for the better.
Anti-androgens are medications that block testosterone production. These include spironolactone and dutasteride. Spironolactone can cause frequent urination, a decrease in sexual function, and an increase in potassium in the bloodstream, so labs are required every visit to ensure the appropriate dose.
Progesterone is a third hormone medication used that can help enhance the effects of estrogen, most notably with breast tissue. It can create more roundness and fullness of the breast tissue. It is taken orally or as an injection every 3 months. It can sometimes help with sleep, mood changes, and smoothing of the skin and hair.
Masculinizing Hormone Therapy
For masculinizing hormone therapy, testosterone is used to encourage more masculine physical changes. This is typically used by patients who are assigned female at birth and identify as male or non-binary.
Testosterone can be used as injections or as a gel. It will create permanent facial hair, voice change, and clitoral enlargement. It can also cause hair loss mimicking male pattern baldness.
Testosterone will also suppress the period, but it is not an effective form of preventing pregnancy.
Important Considerations Before Starting GAHT
There is very little medical research available around gender affirming hormone therapy. This means your provider may not always have the answers to all of your questions or may have to research and get back to you. Sometimes that means the best source of information is other patient experiences.
Some changes related to GAHT are considered to be permanent. It is important to review the permanent changes with your provider and be sure that you are comfortable with those changes before starting hormone therapy.
It is unknown what changes to your fertility may occur with hormone therapy use, so we encourage all patients to consider what their childbearing goals are before starting hormones.
It can take a minimum of 2–3 years to see the full effect of the medication.
Everyone’s experience with hormone therapy is different. We love community and sharing of information and experience between patients. We encourage you to consult with your provider before making changes to your medication.
It is also important to remember that comparison can be a thief of joy and to know that each patient is on their own journey with hormones.
Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy in Greensboro and Across North Carolina
Haven Health provides gender affirming hormone therapy in Greensboro, North Carolina and by telehealth across the state for patients seeking supportive, evidence-based care.
Many patients have questions about what changes to expect, what is permanent, and how hormones may impact fertility. Haven Health offers personalized care and ongoing monitoring to help you feel confident and supported in your journey.
Patients from Greensboro, High Point, Jamestown, Oak Ridge, Summerfield, Kernersville, and surrounding Guilford County communities visit Haven Health for gender affirming care.
If you live anywhere in Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Asheville, Wilmington, or anywhere in NC, you can meet with a provider virtually to begin or continue your hormone therapy with lab monitoring completed at a lab near you.
Haven Health provides patient-centered, affirming healthcare both in person and online across North Carolina.