What You Need Know About Transgender Health Services

By Marissa Velazquez


Today, the term transgender is most used by people who feel that they belong to a gender that they were not assigned at birth. Some trans people use hormones or even go through surgeries to feel more comfortable with their body. The number of this class of people is growing on a daily basis and the debate goes on how to best handle them and accommodate them in the society. Thanks to transgender health program, this provides a holistic approach to individual well being. This ranges from behavioral wellbeing to violence recovery program to substance abuse among others.

Due to the differences in designation depending on the original roles, the males body is usually different from the womans. For a man to shed his masculinity to attain the feminine body, he must undergo a process called hormone replacement therapy. The therapy should be administered by a competent person since mismanagement can lead to undesired effects. This is usually aimed at changing the secondary sexual orientation.

Testosterone and estrogen are hormones present in the body in different quantities. Men always have an increased level of testosterone as compared to women while women have a raised level of estrogen compared to their male counterparts. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for the masculinity of a mans body. The objective of this procedure therefore is to raise the levels of estrogen in transwomen to reach the levels present in the female. This is an important substance since it controls the menstrual cycle, moods and even libido.

Another hormone is progesterone. This also plays a beneficial role to the womans body especially the skin and affects sexual urge. This is given to transwomen so that they can develop their breasts. The development includes the mammary glands, the alveoli just to mention some. This is an option for breast other than surgical methods that has also succeeded in other clients.

To effectively handle the hormone testosterone, substances with anti-androgen effects are used. They are introduced mainly to suppress the male hormone before the client undergoes a surgical process to remove testicles. The production is however not stopped with the presence of the testicles, but it is weakened so that the estrogen can substitute it in binding with the androgen receptors.

Having some hormones replaced does mean that changes that an individual experience during puberty are totally reserved. So things like location of hair body will need a different procedure to deal with. However as the levels of testosterone continue to fall in ones body, the hair continue to diminish. Bones also reach DNA predestined size at puberty so this will have to be checked too.

Therapeutic procedure is not enough for one to experience a complete change. One has to undergo surgery to change the sex organ to the desired gender. This procedure is quite delicate and requires a lot of expertise for optimum functionality of the organ after the surgery.

You will agree that we cannot segregate this people since they are in our midst as family members and friends therefore we should be accommodative and provide good transgender health care to them. Stigmatization may push them to the edge leaving them with no option other than seeking health care from non professionals thus risking their lives. They can also explore herbal options to fulfill their dreams.




About the Author: