By: Plume Community Member
Progesterone is a hormone that plays a crucial role in a person’s overall health and well-being, especially for those undergoing gender transition. Progesterone is used to help trans people during their gender transition. It can also help to reduce gender dysphoria for trans women, transfeminine people, nonbinary people, and folks who identify as male-to-female (MTF). It is important for trans people to be aware of how progesterone works, how to take it properly, and the potential risks involved. This article will explore what progesterone is, how it works, and how it can be beneficial for trans people.
What is progesterone?
Progesterone is an important hormone in the human body, but it can have an even bigger impact for trans people. Progesterone is a hormone that helps to regulate a person’s sex hormones and is used to create a balance between testosterone and estrogen, which is important for trans people to achieve a sense of alignment with their gender identity.
How Plume can help you access the gender-affirming medications you need
While it was previously difficult to access and obtain gender-affirming medications, Plume is making it easier and more affordable for transgender and nonbinary people to get the medications they need, including gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT, sometimes also called HRT or hormone replacement therapy).
Plume is a virtual clinic that provides a health care home where our Members can find comprehensive information about progesterone and other gender-affirming medications. Plume is a reliable source for anyone who wants to learn about the risks and benefits of using progesterone and how it can help support gender transition. Plume’s goal is to provide quality, safe, and affordable medications and other support to transgender individuals, so they can access the gender-affirming health care they need to feel comfortable in their own skin.
Does progesterone actually work?
Very little medical research exists about the ways progesterone is a useful gender-affirming medication. For example, we don’t have any evidence to show that progesterone causes significant changes in someone’s transition. Just because there is no evidence doesn’t mean progesterone doesn’t do anything: we don’t have evidence mainly because the medical community just hasn’t done the studies.
Many people have mixed feelings about progesterone. But there are a fair amount of folks who feel that it helps with things like breast development, rounding out the breasts and areolar development, perhaps adding fullness to the hip area, and possibly improving mood and increasing libido. As a medication, progesterone appears to be safe, so if you want to try it, there doesn’t appear to be much risk.
How can I take progesterone?
To start your progesterone prescription, reach out to your Care Team and make an appointment. You’ll be able to talk to a knowledgeable and supportive provider with firsthand or lived experience in transgender health care.
The progesterone your Care Team will prescribe is a capsule which is swallowed in the evening before bed, with a dose of anywhere from 100 mg to 300 mg at a time. You might have heard of some people taking the oral capsule as a suppository to increase the levels in the body and make it last longer. We have zero evidence to support the effectiveness or safety of this, but it is likely to be safe, given what we know about progesterone. We don’t encourage this method, but if you feel this works better for you, it seems to be OK to do this for now.
What are the side effects of progesterone?
People who take progesterone as a gender-affirming medication may have different effects than cisgender people who take progesterone as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The most common side effects reported for progesterone are drowsiness, nausea, and sometimes weight gain. It is important to know that there is some risk of androgenizing effects (i.e. testosterone-like changes such as coarse or dark hair growth on the face or acne) because progesterone sometimes comes from the same family as testosterone precursor hormones.
At Plume, we prefer to prescribe bioidentical progesterone, called micronized progesterone or Prometrium (the brand name). It is less likely to cause those androgenizing effects than other forms of progesterone such as medroxyprogesterone.
Conclusion
With the help of Plume, you can access progesterone, as well as other services and medications that support your gender transition. Plume is committed to providing you with the support and resources necessary to make your gender transition process easier.
Plume is an online platform co-founded by a trans woman doctor. Plume provides personalized care, education, and support for those transitioning with gender-affirming medications. Through Plume, you can learn about the different types of gender-affirming medications available, the potential side effects, and how to best manage them. Plume also provides access to an experienced Care Team who can provide guidance and advice throughout your transition, as well as a unique care plan customized to your transition goals.
With Plume, you can have the peace of mind that you are taking the best steps to safely and effectively transition to your true self. Ready to start? Click here to become a Member today.
