What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy for Trans Women?

When transsexuals seek to physically change their bodies, hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is utilized. This article will give a brief overview of the HRT process and its effects on the body for trans women.

Definition of Trans Woman

First of all to clarify, "trans woman" or "transwoman" refers to someone born with male genitalia who is transforming themselves physically into a woman. Therefore, a trans man is someone born female transforming themselves into a man. For the purposes of this article, we are only addressing trans women.

What is HRT used for?

Hormone replacement therapy is used in conjunction with sexual reassignment surgery for trans women. Sexual reassignment surgery is the actual surgery that physically changes the individual's reproductive organs from male to female. HRT is used to alter the "secondary" sexual characteristics of the person. Secondary sexual characteristics include the outward physical traits that define a sex other than the reproductive organs. For trans women that includes the development of breasts, less body hair and softer skin. HRT is also used to stop or slow down testosterone production.

Estrogen

Men and women have levels of both testosterone and estrogen in their bodies. However, men have the majority testosterone, women estrogen. So one of the basic parts of HRT for trans women is to add a considerable level of estrogen where there is physically only a small amount. The goal is to bring the trans woman to a natural level of estrogen found in individuals born as women. Estrogen functions in women as a way to regulate menstrual cycles and other physical needs of the reproductive system. It also is associated with moods and libido.

Progestogens

These hormones benefit the body in several ways, including the skin and libido, but are generally given so trans women can develop their own natural breasts. This includes mammary glands, alveoli and so forth. Trans women will have real breasts. They are not simply surgically augmented to appear as breasts.

Anti-androgens

HRT uses anti-androgens in order to suppress testosterone production. This is most beneficial before the individual has had the sexual reassignment surgery and still has his testicles. Anti-androgens do not always stop the production of testosterone. Rather, they weaken the hormone so it does not bind to the androgen receptors, allowing the estrogen to do so in its place.

Puberty

HRT cannot reverse the affects of puberty on the individual. For example, the location of body hair will often have to be physically removed through laser hair removal or other methods. Over time, the less testosterone in the body, the less the hair will return. But it is not going to fully change what puberty has already created. Likewise, during puberty the bones reach their DNA pre-destined size and length. HRT will not alter this at all. So the natural shape of the pelvic bone, for example, is smaller for males than females (genetically destined to bare children), and will not alter with HRT. Neither can hormones change the voice. Once a male's voice has changed, HRT will not affect its timbre.