Your Burnaby gender identity therapist breaks down how hormone therapy can transform your body
Hormone therapy is one of the components of gender affirming care in BC.
This is a 2-part series on hormone therapy, and last week I shared a bit about what hormone therapy is and today we’ll learn some more about how hormone therapy can transform your body.
If the term “gender affirming care BC” doesn’t quite ring a bell, hop on to another article where I did a deep dive on what gender affirming care BC is all about.
Our gender identity is one piece of our whole personal identity
Our personal identity is super complex and there are so many pieces that make up our entire identity.
Well, our gender identity is one piece in the entire pizza of our personal identity.
As we have established in another article that our gender identity exists on a spectrum.
It’s not a binary of men and women like the world would trick us to believe.
In reality, gender identity is more of a continuum between feminine in one and masculine in the other.
I personally love picturing a cup of water when I think of gender identity
It is FLUID.
Just like water.
Some days water by itself feels good, though other times it feels good to add a dash of lemon, while other days we can add a tablespoon of sugar into our tea.
That’s exactly how hormone therapy works and impacts us physically and emotionally.
Your gender identity therapist deep dive into how hormone therapy can make you feel more like yourself
For the most part our gender identity journey is all about bringing more alignment within ourselves aka feeling good in our own body.
We want to feel at home in our own body
Some folx feel chipper already having others use the correct pronouns and their chosen name.
Though others feel that they would feel so much more themselves if they can either add, lose, or modify parts of their body.
That is exactly what hormone therapy is all about for transgender folx.
Your gender identity therapist spills how early we started to get a sense of who we are…
In some situations, folx as young as 2 started to get a sense of who they are….
And good thing in Vancouver, BC, gender affirming care is pretty widely available.
Most likely, a trained and licensed psychologist at BC Children’s Hospital Gender Clinic would assess and provide care and suggestions on a very 1-on-1 basis.
Though, from what I know for the most part, folx typically embark on making some more permanent changes to their body through hormone therapy past a certain age, 18 for the most part.
Getting on hormone therapy in adulthood can bring about external changes.
These external, physical changes will take you one step closer to where you want to be.
Some of the most common ones I’ve seen in my role as a gender identity therapist, you’re taking feminizing (MTF) hormones are:
Grow breasts
Sweat less
Lose muscle tone
Thinning hair on your face and chest
Experiencing less and smaller erections
Shrinking testicles
Creating less sperm (or nothing altogether)
Having a rounder hips and thighs
For those taking testosterone or masculinizing (FTM) hormone, some of the physical changes that I’ve witnessed in my role as a gender therapist are:
Thicker and more oily skin
Sweat more
Thicker hair growth in some locations
May develop acne
Fat moving away from your hips and thighs
More defined muscles in your arms and legs
A more angular look to your face
Voice changes (deeper or more baritone sounding)
Changes in libido
Shorter period, and may eventually stop
A caveat worth mentioning is that the hormone therapy prescribed may impact your bone density, though it won’t change your skeletal shape or height.
Gotta say this is more of the domain of the medical world, so it would be best to consult with your physician before getting started with any sorts of hormone therapy.
Your gender identity therapist observation on how long you gotta wait for these physical effects to kick in after starting hormone therapy…
The speed and amount of changes really depends on so many factors.
Some new body features may pop up right away, while others may take years to happen.
Take for an instance, folx who are taking feminizing hormone therapy may experience decreased libido, ejaculation, and fewer erections within the first 3 months.
Then, they may experience breast development anywhere between 3 to 6 months after treatment starts. The full effect typically happens within 3 years.
Along with that, they may notice softer, less oily skin, less muscle mass, and less body hair overall. The timeline is anywhere between 3 months to 3 years.
It all depends. That’s why in some cases, folx are advised to wait
for the effects of hormone therapy to kick in before entertaining the idea of surgery.
The thing is, we may not know what procedures you need to take until you can see what physical effects hormone therapy has on your body.
Though once again, in my capacity as a gender identity therapist, I have witnessed a whole wide range. And that is why…
I am inclined to say there is no one-size-fits-all suggestions
to anything hormone therapy and gender identity exploration.
Your gender identity therapist also got asked about whether hormone therapy will change your reproductive health…
Know that taking transgender hormone therapy may possibly change your reproductive system.
One thing for sure:
Gender affirming hormone therapy, including testosterone, isn’t birth control. This means that if and when you are on T, even when you stop having your period, there is still a sliver of possibility that you can get pregnant.
Wondering how the heck?
Well, pregnancy is still possible when you have a uterus, ovaries, and are ovulating. It’s still possible to ovulate, even when you stop having your period.
Taking T regularly may at some point make someone born with ovaries ovulate.
And a note for trans man who’s like to still get pregnant at some point, you can temporarily stop taking T.
And of course, best practice if you consult with your prescriber about when and how to go about this.
Depending on the type of sex you have, using birth control may be the best route to prevent pregnancy.
In some cases, folx are not completely sure about the future, so it is advisable to save your sperm or eggs. Just in case.
Your gender identity therapist’s verdict on how you know if hormone therapy is right for you?…
As someone who had my fair share of gender identity confusion, I totally get it that deciding to get on hormone therapy and making some changes (however necessary they may be!) could be daunting.
That’s why in my capacity as a gender identity therapist I believe that it's super important for you to take your time.
As much as thinking of the prospect of living differently can be super exciting
Know that you don’t have to have everything figured out today.
Make sure you gather as much information.
Start with ask Google anything you’d like to find out about the many pieces of gender affirming care available, hormone therapy, hormone readiness assessment…
If you have gender diverse folx in your circle, talk to them and invite them to share their gender identity journey.
All these steps, as tedious as it may sound at glance, can help you feel prepared and grounded.
If and when you feel ready to take that first step to feel good in your body, that may be the time to involve a medical or healthcare professional into the scene (wink wink, a gender identity therapist such as myself).
Your healthcare provider can help you provide the most appropriate information relevant to your situation. A few questions you can bring up during your consultation:
The effects you can expect
The timing of when and what changes should happen to your body
The ongoing care and monitoring needed
The risks and benefits of hormone therapy
Other medical considerations related to your physical and mental health history
A gender identity therapist such as myself can support you navigate the social and emotional changes that often come with hormone therapy.
Hello, I’m Nita Agustin
Registered Clinical Counsellor based in Burnaby, BC
My jam is helping curious and questioning queer youth and young adults move from confusion to clarity.
Most of my clients shared feeling overwhelmed by the messages the world told them how they’re supposed to be. They do not want to be defined by what society told them about themselves.
In our work together, I guide clients in figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and how to get there. We do this by processing how their past impacted the way they live out their life today. From our work together, I noticed clients develop better self-awareness and experience improved quality of life as they can show up differently in their relationships.
I offer virtual and in-person sessions in Brentwood, North Burnaby. In the summer I also offer walk-and-walk in Confederation Park.
I am licensed to practise in BC, as well as all across Canada, so I support clients all over BC, all the way from Vancouver to Kitimat. Other than working with clients who reside in BC, I also can support clients who reside in Yukon Territories, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland.
Check out my About me page to learn more about what I do and have to offer for you. Also, explore my Services page to see how I can guide you in making shifts in your life today. If you feel ready to discover ways to live life on your own terms, I welcome you to book an initial intake session. I am so stoked to meet you and start figuring out how you can show up as your best self!
Throughout this pandemic, I witnessed telehealth virtual sessions become more of a norm, and it has been super transformative seeing clients can access mental health services from the comfort of their home.
There are lots of different stereotypes out there, and society tells us who we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to do in the world. It can feel very overwhelming and confusing to compare our personal experience against those ideas. The thing is, you no longer have to be defined by what society tells you. It is your life to live, and you get to decide who get a say about your life.
