Masculinizing Hormones
Testosterone is available in the following forms:
Injectable: Subcutaneous and Intramuscular administrations every 7-14 days
Gel: Applied daily
Pellets: Must be inserted at office every 3 months
What are the emotional and intellectual effects of testosterone?
People are very different so their emotional and intellectual changes vary widely. People taking testosterone have reported:
● feeling less emotional and not crying as easily
● feeling more angry, irritable, or aggressive
● thinking differently, having different ways of looking at things
● mood swings, especially feeling “down” right before the next injection
● feeling “more like myself” when taking a hormone that aligns with gender identity; feeling more comfortable in one’s body
What testosterone does not do:
● change a person’s bone structure
● change a person’s height
● reduce the size or cause shrinkage of the breasts
● provide reliable birth control
What are the risks of taking testosterone?
The major risks are:
● high red blood cell counts which can cause blood clots
● weight gain
● vaginal dryness
● risks of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol more comparable to a cis-gender man
