Forced Feminization Hormones - Benefits, Side Effects, and Significance

What Is Forced Feminizing Hormone Therapy?

Forced feminizing hormone therapy is a gender-affirming treatment that typically utilizes female hormones to induce a more feminine appearance, especially in transgender people. Forced feminizing hormone therapy may be used as a discrete treatment therapy or combined with sex reassignment surgery.

What Is the Significance of Forced Feminizing Hormone Therapy?

Feminizing hormone therapy is primarily used to alter the hormone levels in the body. The hormonal shift may trigger morphological changes that may aid in realigning the person’s body with gender identity.

Gender Dysphoria- It is a medical term that expresses a sense of dissatisfaction, distress, and discomfort that a person may experience because of a lack of congruence between their biological sex and sex-related characteristics. This feeling of dissatisfaction may often lead to sadness, depression, and mental anxiety. It may negatively affect the person and have a harmful effect on day-to-day life.

Forced feminizing hormone therapy helps to:

• Improve psychological, mental, and social well-being of the person.

• Relieve mental and emotional distress related to gender.

• Improve sexual satisfaction.

• Improve the standard of life.

Who Uses Forced Feminizing Hormone Therapy?

Primarily, transgender people use forced feminization hormone therapy to realign their gender identification.

Trans women who are allocated as males at birth but identify themselves as women are the ones who most commonly use this therapy to change their gender identity.

This therapy is a common treatment modality for gender dysphoria. However, genderqueer, non-binary, or intersex people can also opt for undergoing feminizing hormone therapy.

• The non-binary and genderqueer term describe individuals who are not exclusively identified as males or females.

• Intersex individuals are born with either of several sexual characteristics, including chromosomal patterns, reproductive organs, or genitals.

In simple words, forced feminizing hormone therapy is for a human being who finds a discrepancy between their physical appearance and their authentic gender and self-identification.

What Are the Changes Expected From Forced Feminizing Hormone Therapy?

Individuals assigned male at birth synthesize lower levels of estrogen. Forced feminizing hormone therapy is known to bring about morphological and emotional changes that are consistent with feminine sexual characteristics, anatomy, and feminine behavior.

This treatment delivers hormones and other substances to the affected person. These substances include anti-androgen medications, estrogen, and progesterone hormones.

The anti-androgen therapy blocks the production of the male sex hormone (testosterone).

Certain changes from anti-androgen therapy include:

• Reduced muscle mass.

• Less erections.

• Changed sex drive (low libido).

• Smaller gonads (testes).

• Thinning of the facial and body hair.

On the other hand, estrogen promotes morphological changes that are in harmony with feminine appearance.

Feminine physical changes may also be produced by progestin therapy. Changes expected from estrogen and progestin therapy include:

• A softer and more supple skin.

• An increased layer of fat on the hips, buttocks, and face.

• Fuller breasts.

• Mood swings, anxiety, or mental depression.

How to Prepare for Forced Feminizing Hormone Therapy?

The steps for preparation include:

• Educate the patient by explaining the treatment procedure and the results to be expected from the therapy. This includes analyzing adverse effects, risks, and benefits.

• Patient’s medical history to look for estrogen-dependent conditions, like a few breast cancers and endometriosis (a medical disorder where the tissue lining the uterus grows outside the uterus) or a hormone-sensitive tumor like prostate cancer.

• Physical examination of the patient to ensure their health for the start of the feminizing hormone therapy.

• Conduction of laboratory tests, including complete blood profile, urine analysis, and liver function tests.

• Analysis of mental health to evaluate the diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

• The consent of the patient is also taken to agree to the procedure and confirm the understanding of therapy.

How Does Forced Feminizing Hormone Therapy Work?

The procedure is started by the consumption of anti-androgen medications to block the production of testosterone. Then estrogen is taken after an interval of a few weeks. The estrogen hormone comes in various forms, including:

• Pills.

• Injections.

• Cream or ointment.

• Patches.

A low dose of estrogen is given to patients in the initial phase who opt for forced feminizing hormone therapy. The estimated amount is unique and distinguished for each person. The healthcare professional determines the type and correct dose for the individual.

The low dose of estrogen is given in the initial phase to help alleviate the side effects, the risks, complications, and adverse reactions. Then, as the body acclimatizes to the medication, the healthcare professional will increase the drug dosage. After achieving the desired results, a lower dose is recommended for the rest of their lives.

The pace at which the visible changes develop depends on various factors, including the dosage, the body’s response to the drug, age, genetics, and immunity of an individual. However, it usually takes 18 to 25 months for most individuals to achieve desirable results.

What Are the Potential Side Effects of Forced Feminization Hormones?

The potential adverse effects may include:

• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)- The blood clots are formed in a deep vein. Symptoms include leg pain, tenderness, and swelling.

• Electrolyte Imbalance- The condition occurs when there is either a shortage or excess of minerals in the human body. Symptoms include weakness, nausea, headache, and muscle tenderness.

• Hyperglycemia- The condition is described as elevated blood sugar or glucose. Symptoms include weight loss, excessive thirst, hunger, and fatigue.

• High Blood Pressure- The condition is known as hypertension. It usually has no symptoms. A healthy diet with less salt intake is recommended for the patients.

• Hyperkalemia- The condition refers to high potassium levels in the blood. Symptoms include numbness in extremities, chest pain, and muscle weakness.

• Hypotension- The condition is characterized by low blood pressure.

• Osteoporosis- The bones become weak and fragile.

• Water retention- The person may become bloated due to water retention. The body is not able to maintain fluid levels.

Conclusion

Transgender people typically use forced feminization hormone therapy to change their physical and sexual characteristics. The main benefit of this therapy is the relief of emotional distress and psychological discomfort that these people usually face. It is important to consult a healthcare professional to have a better understanding of the therapy.