A “sex change” pill does not exist. What is Hormone Therapy? [WE EXPLAIN]

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The spokesman for children’s rights, Mikołaj Pawlak, in an interview with TVN24 journalist, said that sex educators pick up children in schools and give them sex change pills. Not only does this statement have the potential to win the “Medical Nonsense of the Year” poll, it is also extremely deceitful and harmful. Especially for the Ombudsman for Children, we explain what hormone therapy is and why it cannot be done with a “sex change” pill.

  1. Hormone therapies aren’t just about gender reconciliation. In the case of menopausal women, the use of hormone replacement therapy improves the quality of life. As is the use of hormone replacement therapy in men with testosterone deficiencies
  2. Hormone therapy in transition is a complicated process, with the risk of developing metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. People who choose such therapy will use it for the rest of their lives
  3. Hormone therapy in transition is preceded by a number of tests and requires the informed consent of the person making the decision

The “sex change” pill for emotionally unstable children

Since yesterday, the interview with the spokesman for children’s rights, Mikołaj Pawlak on TVN24, has not been silenced. By definition, the Ombudsman for Children is appointed to uphold children’s rights as defined in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other legal provisions. He should be guided by the best interests of the child and undertake activities aimed at ensuring the child’s full and harmonious development, respecting his dignity and subjectivity ”.

It would seem, then, that there is nothing surprising in the fact that Mikołaj Pawlak wants to defend children against sex educators who, by manipulating their emotions, give children sex-change pills, all with the consent of the school management. The problem is, it’s complete nonsense. It is worth reading the commentary on the spokesman’s words: The Ombudsman for Children came up with the idea that sex educators change children’s gender with the help of tablets

Below I will answer the following questions: what is hormone therapy and why not every hormone therapy is related to the transition process, and what is and what does hormone therapy in transition look like.

See also: Klaudia sued her parents and cut herself off from the family. But that’s not the only price she had to pay to be herself

Hormone therapies aren’t just about gender reassignment

Hormone treatment is not new – it has been used since the 30s. As explained in an interview with Puls Medycyny, prof. Farid Saad, the greatest achievement of medicine of those years was the discovery of a group of steroid hormones, which include, among others cortisol, female and male hormones. These discoveries have led to the emergence of hormone replacement therapies for men and women that have nothing to do with transition, or gender reassignment.

For women, hormone replacement therapy is given after entering the menopause. It is a transition period between sexual maturity and the aging of the body. Women who decide to take hormone replacement therapy take appropriate doses of hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. More about hormone replacement therapy for women: HRT – indications, hormones, benefits and risks

For men, hormone replacement therapy consists of replenishing testosterone deficiencies. The process of andropause in men begins around the age of 40, but is much slower than in women. In some cases it may be necessary to supplement testosterone with hormone therapy. Nothing wrong with that. See Testosterone: The Most Masculine Hormone

Hormones are also taken in the case of diseases of the thyroid gland, diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, and adrenal gland diseases. Hormone therapies are commonly used to treat conditions where the body stops producing these substances.

Editors recommend: Hormonal disorders – what are their symptoms and how to prevent them?

Transition-related hormone therapy

Sexual transition is the process of changing the way you express your gender or sexual characteristics so that they align with your inner sense of your own gender identity. Transition usually affects transsexual people.

– Gender disapproval syndrome, i.e. transsexualism, but also transgenderism, according to the ICD-10 classification, is a strong and depressing feeling of dissatisfaction with one’s biological sex. It is accompanied by symptoms that affect everyday emotional and social functioning: apathy, withdrawal, depression. Consequently, problems such as thoughts of suicide turning into suicidal tendencies arise. Working therapeutically with transsexuals, I can see that mental pain is often stronger than physical pain. People with Gender Disapproval Syndrome often believe that they are victims of nature’s mistake. They treat their body with disgust – explains the psychotherapist Monika Wloskowicz-Majsak.

Hormone therapy may be initiated after a psychosocial evaluation by qualified professionals and with the informed consent of the person who is to undergo it. The criteria for starting hormone therapy are described in “Standards of Healthcare for Transgender, Transgender and Genderless People” and are as follows:

  1. persistent, well-documented sexual dystrophy
  2. the ability to make a fully informed decision and consent to treatment,
  3. adulthood (there are exceptions when hormone therapy can be used in minors),
  4. in the case of coexistence of health problems or mental disorders, it is first necessary to address them and undertake possible treatment.

In the case of M / F people, female hormones are administered to reduce the volume of the testicles, the growth of the mammary glands, changes in hair, and a place where fat is deposited. The hormones taken also affect the timbre of the voice and the frequency of erections. Hormone therapy for M / F has risks such as weight gain and blood pressure. There is also a risk of thrombotic complications, diabetes, gallstones and liver disease. Due to numerous complications, hormone therapy should be carried out under the supervision of specialists.

In the case of F / M people, testosterone is used in hormone therapy, which affects the amenorrhea and the reduction of the volume of the breasts. People taking testosterone develop the clitoris and muscles, and the timbre of the voice changes and the distribution of body fat. Also, this type of hormone therapy has its risks. Taking testosterone can cause metabolic disorders, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Both hormone therapies also cause the development of infertility.

Transition hormone therapy requires several different medications, including those that block the body’s production of hormones. In the case of transsexual people, hormone therapy lasts for life, only the doses of hormones change.

This cannot be done with a “magic pill” that will cause a “sex change” within eight teaching hours. Hormone therapy is usually also an introduction to further transition, including surgeries that are aimed at adjusting the body to the perceived sex.

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