Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy Guiding Principles
Affirming hormone therapy provides positive impacts on well-being
AN INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH
Given the spectrum of gender identity and the variation in each person’s expression, there is no single pathway for Trans or Non-binary persons to follow in order to feel like their authentic self.
When hormones are chosen as part of the transition, some patients may seek maximum feminization/masculinization, while others may seek a more androgynous appearance.
The following approach provides an educational summary credited to the Sherbourne Health Guidelines and material from Rainbow Health Ontario.
DECISION TO INITIATE HORMONE THERAPY
The decision to initiate hormone therapy is a collaborative patient-centred process that focuses on both psychosocial preparation and informed consent. The Primary Care Provider (with or without the support of a multi-disciplinary team) can facilitate a decision-making process that informs, educates and supports patients. For each patient seeking hormone therapy, it is important to not only consider the possible risks of treatment but to consider the substantial risks of withholding treatment (e.g. worsened mental health/suicidality).
TERMINOLOGY
GENDER IDENTITY: This is the internal sense of self; one’s personal sense of gender. (eg. transwomen are women, but may have been assigned male at birth).
CIS: Refers to a state of alignment of one’s gender identity with the gender assigned at birth. You may also sometimes see “cissexual” or “cisgender.” It is more accurate to use “cis” than to use terms such as “bio”, “genetic” or “real.”
TRANS: Umbrella term for people who are not cis, includes persons who are (or identify as) non-binary as well as transmasculine and transfeminine individuals.
NON-BINARY: Umbrella term for anyone who does not identify with binary gender identities.
Includes persons who may identify as having an intermediary gender (e.g. genderqueer), as being multiple genders (e.g. bigender, polygender, etc.), as having a shifting gender (gender fluid), or as not having a gender altogether (agender).
Looking to learn more? Click here to learn more about commonly used terminology.
REFERENCES
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3. Deutsch MB e. Guidelines for the Primary and Gender-Affirming Care of Transgender and Gender Nonbinary People; 2nd edition. 2016; Available at : www.transhealth.ucsf.edu/
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Visual reference: Tetzlaff K.Patient’s guide to transgender, trans, & gender diverse health. 2015. https://ktetzlaffdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/ tetzlaff_transhealthbooklet1.pdf