Transmasculine Hormone Therapy

Justine Defreyne; Guy T'Sjoen

doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2019.01.004

Transmasculine Hormone Therapy

Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2019 Jun;48(2):357-375. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2019.01.004.

Authors

Justine Defreyne¹, Guy T'Sjoen²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Ghent 9000, Belgium. Electronic address: justine.defreyne@ugent.be.
² Department of Endocrinology, Center for Sexology and Gender, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Ghent 9000, Belgium.

PMID: 31027545
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecl.2019.01.004

Abstract

Prescribing gender-affirming hormonal therapy in transgender men (TM) not only induces desirable physical effects but also benefits mental health. In TM, testosterone therapy is aimed at achieving cisgender male serum testosterone to induce virilization. Testosterone therapy is safe on the short term and middle term if adequate endocrinological follow-up is provided. Transgender medicine is not a strong part of the medical curriculum, although a large number of transgender persons will search for some kind of gender-affirming care. Because hormonal therapy has beneficial effects, all endocrinologists or hormone-prescribing physicians should be able to provide gender-affirming hormonal care.

Keywords: Follow-up; Gender-affirming hormones; Safety; Testosterone; Transgender men.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Hormone Replacement Therapy*
Humans
Testosterone / adverse effects
Testosterone / pharmacology*
Transsexualism* / drug therapy
Transsexualism* / metabolism

Substances

Testosterone