Hormone Replacement Therapy (female-to-male)

Hormone Replacement Therapy (female-to-male)

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for transgender and transsexual individuals introduces hormones associated with the gender that the patient identifies with (notably testosterone for trans men and estrogen for trans women). Some intersex people also receive HRT, either starting in childhood to confirm the gender they were assigned at birth, or later in order to change the gender they were assigned at birth.

HRT causes the development of secondary sex characteristic. While HRT cannot undo the effects of a patient's first puberty, developing secondary sex characteristics associated with a different gender often allows the patient to "pass" or be seen as the gender they identify with, which causes significant social and psychological changes. Introducing synthetic hormones into the body impacts it at every level and many patient report changes in energy levels, mood, appetite, etc. The goal of HRT, and indeed all somatic treatments, is to provide patients with a more satisfying body that is more congruent with their true psychological gender identity.