Kathmandu, January 9

Several transgender women on male-to-female hormonal therapy have abandoned transitioning medication after experiencing its adverse health effects.

Thirty-five-year-old Bhumika Shrestha, a transgender woman, said she abandoned transitioning medicine after she faced various health complications.

“Hormonal therapy is necessary for those who have undergone a sex transition. Hormone therapy for feminine transitioning individuals increases estrogen levels while lowering testosterone levels. But hormonal imbalance in the body causes adverse health impacts,” she said.

“I underwent breast implant surgery seven years ago and to maintain my femininity I took hormonal medicines. But this increased blood pressure and sugar levels. I am also suffering from asthma,” she said.

“Once we take hormone, we have to continue taking it for lifetime,” said Pushpa Lama, 34, a transgender woman. She no longer uses hormone to maintain her femininity. “I have seen many friends of mine suffering from kidney stone and asthma because of regular use of hormone,” said Lama.

Lama said transgender women suffered from the adverse effects of hormone use also because they did it without consulting doctors.

According to Dina Shrestha, consultant endocrinologist at Norvic Hospital, increase in the hormone level in the female body leads to thickening of blood, change in muscles and bone and weakness, which may increase the risk of breast cancer and liver damage.