Trans Healthcare — Hormone Therapy Services

Posted on: 19 December 2022

Hormone therapy is a critical process that is conducted during a gender reassignment case. Hormone therapy allows a patient to acquire secondary sex characteristics that are associated with being a man or a woman.

Hormone Therapy Preliminaries

Before anyone goes through a gender reassignment process, they will need to undergo a physical exam and may be required to receive counseling. The counseling session is essential in preparing a patient for the outcome of a gender reassignment surgery. The counseling will advise a patient on what they can expect before the surgery and after the surgery. When an individual undergoes a reassignment process, they will be required to take hormones.

Hormones will have a direct bearing on an individual's voice, facial features, and body features. The changes that a trans person experiences may be difficult to get used to at first. A clinician that provides trans healthcare service can be a great support to someone who is seeking a reassignment surgery. A clinician can put any fears to rest that a patient has been experiencing. A clinician will provide a patient with some advice that will help them get accustomed to the changes that the hormones will trigger.

The Therapeutic Approach

A clinician will explain the various hormone treatments that a patient may undergo. A patient will need to continue taking hormones before and after the surgery. A patient does not need to have their sex organ changed in order to begin a regimented hormone treatment process. A care provider may use hormone injections, oral pills, or patches to administer the hormones that a patient needs.

The care provider will explain the side effects that a patient may experience. Changes in one's physical self may be subtle at first. A patient may experience mood swings or may feel under the weather at the onset of receiving hormone therapy treatments. As the body gets adjusted to the hormones, the side effects may subside. During the beginning of the hormone treatment process, an individual should be receptive to the fact that they may feel abnormal for a temporary duration.

It is beneficial to have a strong support system as a patient undergoes hormone therapy processes. A clinician may recommend that a patient joins a support group that is designed to help people who are going to transition or who have already transitioned from one sex to the opposite sex. If a patient endures unpleasant hormonal side effects that don't seem to subside, they should contact their medical provider.

For more information on transgender healthcare, contact a professional near you.

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