Hormones at 16

[Guest Holly S]

I was wondering, if I get anti-T during this summer, but don't start Estrogen until I'm 18, will I get as good results as if I started E during the summer too. It seems to be the general consensus that the younger you start HRT, the better. But is this because T hasn't started ruining everything yet, or is it something to do with when you are younger, E can do its job better? I'm looking at others on this website who started HRT really young wondering if I'll ever look that great. My life doesn't revolve around how I look, but it would be nice.

[JJ]

Holly our biological ages are relative and not tied to chronological dates. 18 is a relative age that some people mention as a guideposts - and many Drs use as an age at which they will consider giving HRT but it just am arbitrary date and there is very little research supporting that or any other point as too late for good results. Not to mention each person and each body is different. I have known girls who started puberty at 10 and had significant development by 12 and other girls who started puberty at 13 and had significant development well into their 20s.

Also as I understand what I have read once puberty is stopped by the T blockers it can be resumed again later-and past 18-once hormones-whether E or T -is resumed. Otherwise it would be medically inadvisable to stop puberty and delay HRT till 18 as is standard practice with many Drs.

Again, most of this is based on observation by Drs because few studies have been done.

Nor is a few months going to make a real difference in your eventual level of development overall I believe. Like puberty it's a long process and we have to work with our Drs. to find what works best and what they are willing to do at what time.

Johnny

[Drea]

Yes the general consensus is that the younger one is, the more effect it will have however....

The drop off in effectivness over a few years from what I seen is far less than the individual to individual variation. Even accross 10 years. It only really starts to become noticible when one talks of different starting ages on the order of 20 years.

If after 18 was so much worse than say 16, one would expect little to no effects for someone in ther 40s or older and that certainly isn't the case.

At young ages, the key difference may be found in secondary developments such as facial hair but the T blockers largely halt that.

[Guest Holly S]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I'm just being impatient and stressing about nothing.

[Alex59]

This is something similar to me, Im starting hormone blockers in a few weeks ( im 14 now but will b 15 in a few weeks also :L) but will be starting estrogen at 16. I was REALLLLLY WONDER that if I took blockers at 15 then replacement at 16, would it be as if I just started it at 15 . And also Holly; here in the UK we start replacement at 16 not 18

[Guest Holly S]

I contacted Chrysalis, who are the gender-therapist-specialist-things in the area I'm moving to. They said that I can start blockers as soon as I start therapy, but I have to wait untill I'm 18 for the full deal. If they were mistaken, and I can start full HRT at 16, I'll be both suprised and overjoyed, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

This is part of an Email that I recieved from them:

When you arrive in England contact you General Practitioner (Doctor) and tell him about your Gender Dysphoria. He (or she) should then refer you to the Tavistock Clinic in London; they are responsible for looking after Gender Variant Children (under 18) they have a programme which could enable you to receive puberty blocking drugs to hold back puberty until you are 18 when you could be prescribed cross gender hormones. This enables you to develop as near to female as possible.

And this is their web page:

http://www.chrysalis-gii.co.uk/index.php

[Alex59]

My therapist and the NHS both say over 16 is the age of hormone replacement BUT even if (which I doupt alot) it is 18, then starting hormone blockers now will cesis pubery to then anyways xD hope this helps x

[Guest Holly S]

I just looked on the NHS website, and 16 is the age! Hang on, let me do a happy dance

On an less positive note, perhaps Chrysalis aren't the specialists they claim to be. I'll email them and ask them about this.

The main reason I want HRT ASAP is that I want to be full time by the time I'm in Uni, and sixth form seems to be a good time and place to transition.

Hugs,

Holly

[Alex59]

Hug xD <3

[Guest Just_Amy]

thats what i was wondering aswell my threapist wasn't sure if you had to be 18 to take them or 16 and neither was i,but i think if you see like an arcknowledgist or something like that im not sure what there called but im going to see one hopefully, and he'll tell me more about it.but i was thinking about that too.

[Alex59]

In the states it 18 soz