HRT is a recent development in the medical field. While hormone therapy existed, medical transitioning was taboo until very recently so the advancements that have been made are very new.

Dr Kalra says, “We don’t have much experience anywhere in the world with the longest treatments of testosterone or estrogen. So these things are coming up now. So for 20-25 years is the experience that people have.”

FTM

HRT in FTM is a life long commitment? Well Dr Kalra, from her experience informs us this, “So what they are recommending now for FTM is that we can continue testosterone until the age of 50-55.”

So we can stop at 55?

Well Dr Kalra believes so. “When we are suggesting to reduce the dose of testosterone, we do it like in the case of a cis-male. So cis-males once they grow older their testosterone level comes down so what we are recommending in the latest Indian guidelines now, that we recently made the consensus that is going to come online soon, we are recommending that the testosterone dose can be reduced as the age advances in the male because that is what naturally happens in men.”

MTF

What about MTF Transitioning then? Do the same rules apply here? Dr Kalra says, “What happens is that they go through menopause, and then the estrogen levels go too low. So what we are recommending is that after the age of 45 to 50 we normally plan to stop. At that point in time, this happens with cis-females also so this is the consensus.”

So, MTF or FTM Transitioning need not be lifelong. After checking your hormone levels and as you attain a certain age, the hormone therapy can stop.