hormone therapy

medicine

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June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

Hormone therapy is a medical treatment that involves the use of hormones. It can be used to increase diminished hormone levels in the body, such as in hormone replacement therapy for menopause. It can also involve suppressing or inhibiting hormone effects, for example, in treating breast or prostate cancer.12

Additionally, hormone therapy is used to help transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive individuals align their physical characteristics with their gender identity. This gender-affirming hormone therapy can be feminizing (using estrogen and antiandrogens) or masculinizing (using testosterone). While it can significantly alleviate gender dysphoria and improve mental health, it also carries potential side effects and long-term risks that require medical supervision.34

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prostate cancer
Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy attacks androgens that stimulate the growth of prostate cancer. A form of hormone therapy involves drugs known as LHRH analogs, or LHRH agonists, that chemically block the production of androgens. Side effects of hormone therapy may include reduced libido, abnormal growth or sensitivity…
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Hormone therapy attacks androgens that stimulate the growth of prostate cancer. A form of hormone therapy involves drugs known as LHRH analogs, or LHRH agonists, that chemically block the production of androgens. Side effects of hormone therapy may include reduced libido, abnormal growth or sensitivity…
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transsexuality
…of successful surgical techniques and hormone therapy, several thousand transsexuals, male and female, have undergone a permanent gender reassignment. Although both male and female transsexuals exist, the male-to-female operation is more common because the genital reconstruction is more satisfactory. The male-to-female transsexual’s penis and testes are removed, and an artificial…
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…of successful surgical techniques and hormone therapy, several thousand transsexuals, male and female, have undergone a permanent gender reassignment. Although both male and female transsexuals exist, the male-to-female operation is more common because the genital reconstruction is more satisfactory. The male-to-female transsexual’s penis and testes are removed, and an artificial…
Read More