Getting My Letters! Transgender Journey – FTM
Today marks a big day for myself and I would like to share it with you. I have been seeing Dr Graham Peveller for a while now and he shared with me that at our next session, he will be giving me my first referral letter. This letter will be for hormonal therapy to begin. As soon as I have my letter, I will be contacting Dr. Jill E. Vollbrecht, MD – Endocrinologist for hormone therapy here to find out anything else I may need and move forward with my transition.
What is Hormone Therapy?
If you are unfamiliar with the term hormone therapy or hormonal therapy, here is a quick run down:
FTM
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) of the female-to-male (FTM) type is a form of hormone therapy and sex reassignment therapy that is used to change the secondary sexual characteristics of transgender and transsexual people from feminine (or androgynous) to masculine. It is one of two types of HRT for transgender and transsexual people, the other being male-to-female, and is predominantly used to treat transgender men. Some intersex people also receive this form of HRT, either starting in childhood to confirm the assigned sex or later if the assignment proves to be incorrect.
The purpose of this form of HRT is to cause the development of the secondary sex characteristics of the desired sex, such as voice deepening and a masculine pattern of hair, fat, and muscle distribution. It cannot undo many of the changes produced by naturally occurring puberty, which may necessitate surgery and other treatments (see below). The medications used in HRT of the FTM type include, mainly, androgens (namely testosterone) and GnRH analogues.
While HRT cannot undo the effects of a person first puberty, developing secondary sex characteristics associated with a different gender can relieve some or all of the distress and discomfort associated with gender dysphoria, and can help the person to “pass” or be seen as the gender they identify with. Introducing exogenous hormones into the body impacts it at every level and many patients 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 gender identity.
MTF
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) of the male-to-female (MTF) type is a form of hormone therapy and sex reassignment therapy that is used to change the secondary sexual characteristics of transgender and transsexual people from masculine (or androgynous) to feminine. It is one of two types of HRT for transgender and transsexual people, the other being female-to-male, and is predominantly used to treat transgender women. Some intersex people also receive this form of HRT, either starting in childhood to confirm the assigned sex or later if the assignment proves to be incorrect.
The purpose of this form of HRT is to cause the development of the secondary sex characteristics of the desired sex, such as breasts and a feminine pattern of hair, fat, and muscle distribution. It cannot undo many of the changes produced by naturally occurring puberty, which may necessitate surgery and other treatments (see below). The medications used in HRT of the MTF type include estrogens, antiandrogens, and progestogens.
While HRT cannot undo the effects of a person’s first puberty, developing secondary sex characteristics associated with a different gender can relieve some or all of the distress and discomfort associated with gender dysphoria, and can help the person to “pass” or be seen as the gender they identify with. Introducing exogenous hormones into the body impacts it at every level and many patients 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 gender identity.