Gender-affirming hormone therapy

Gender-affirming hormone therapy uses sex hormones or hormone blockers to change or maintain physical characteristics in ways that support a person’s gender identity.

Testosterone therapy: Treatment with testosterone to induce or maintain androgen-associated physical characteristics. It is commonly used to support masculinization, with effects such as voice deepening and increased facial hair.
Masculinizing hormone therapy: Gender-affirming treatment intended to induce physical changes associated with higher androgen exposure. This pathway commonly uses testosterone, with changes and timing varying among individuals.
Gender incongruence: A marked and persistent incongruence between a person’s experienced gender and assigned sex or associated characteristics. The concept describes an experience that may inform care but does not alone determine whether someone seeks hormones.
Gender-affirming surgery: Surgical procedures intended to align physical characteristics with a person’s gender identity. Surgery can address characteristics that hormones do not change or change only partly.
Estrogen therapy: Treatment with estrogen to induce or maintain estrogen-associated physical characteristics. It is commonly used to support feminization, including breast development and changes in fat distribution.
Feminizing hormone therapy: Gender-affirming treatment intended to induce physical changes associated with higher estrogen exposure and reduced androgen action. This pathway commonly combines estrogen with an androgen-lowering medication when appropriate.
Voice masculinization: Lowering of vocal pitch and related voice changes, often caused by testosterone exposure. Testosterone-induced voice changes are generally permanent, unlike many other hormone effects.
Social transition: Changes in how a person expresses or lives their gender socially, such as name, pronouns, or presentation. Social transition does not require medication and can occur independently of hormone treatment.
Antiandrogen: A medication that reduces androgen production or blocks androgen action. Antiandrogens can reduce testosterone’s effects, often alongside estrogen therapy.
Hormone replacement therapy: Treatment that replaces or supplements hormones the body does not produce in sufficient amounts. Gender-affirming therapy overlaps with hormone replacement but has distinct goals and treatment contexts.

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