Transgender individuals are people who have a discord between their biological sex and the gender they identify with. There has been an increased number of transgender individuals seeking cross-sexual hormones, with transgender women seeking estrogen therapy in their transitioning journey. The work of estrogen in transgender women is to make patients more feminine through altering fat distribution, increasing breast size and altering hair growth patterns (Unger, 2016). The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) recommends that transgender women should have a right to estrogen therapy once the necessary steps are followed (Unger, 2016). These steps include psychosocial assessment of the person with determination on suitability for treatment and taking of informed consent from the patient having fully divulged the risks and benefits of estrogen therapy (Unger, 2016).
Estrogen therapy is beneficial in changing the look of transgender women to make them appear more feminine. The first change is the increase in breast size with changes in the nipple and areola to reflect that in women (Unger, 2016). The changes, however, differ according to genetics, age of therapy and several other factors. Another notable benefit is the change in the appearance of the skin, which becomes softer through the thinning of the stratum corneum (Unger, 2016). Estrogen therapy also causes body fat to be distributed in a more feminine pattern including the buttocks, thighs, breasts, upper arms and hips. Body hair also changes from normal male hairs to blonde hairs with a female pattern of distribution (Unger, 2016). While physical changes are notable, psychological changes are unaffected by estrogen therapy.
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Estrogen therapy comes with serious risks, particularly on physical health. Ethinyl estradiol, a type of estrogen has been linked with an increased risk of developing venous thromboembolism among its users (Shatzel et al., 2017). Estrogen use caries an increased risk of cardiovascular events, particularly stroke and heart attacks. The transgender population also carries an increased risk of diabetes, a condition that increases chances of cardiovascular events (Unger, 2016). The coupling of estrogen and diabetes provides a notably high is of cardiovascular events.
References
Shatzel, J. J., Connelly, K. J., & DeLoughery, T. G. (2017). Thrombotic issues in transgender medicine: A review. American journal of hematology , 92 (2), 204-208.
Unger, C. A. (2016). Hormone therapy for transgender patients. Translational andrology and urology , 5 (6), 877.
