I’m trans femme, considering hrt. By a long way, most reports of what it’s like say: within the first week I felt different emotionally /in my mind. Feelings seem to vary from calmer, to the author feeling more herself. This initial euphoric feeling is reported to fade over time, usually.
I just wondered how it would feel for a cis man if he were to take it for a week. I understand that if you stopped after a week there would not be any long term effects at all. So I’d be surprised if it hadn’t been tried!
Why do I wonder this? I suppose I’m wondering if it feels good for everyone. I’m scared of taking it. But I’m scared of living with the constant doubt. Most gender affirming actions I’ve taken have been very helpful, really made me feel more myself. But if hrt makes everyone feel better, at least at first, I wouldn’t be able to know whether it would be right for me by trialling it (and thereby judge whether it might be worth all the downsides that come along with the positives or not).
Any experience shared is v welcome!
Edit: Thanks everyone for interesting info! I wanted to add here at top that in no way am I saying a person’s reaction to hormones has any effect on their gender. I’m not looking to “test” my trans-ness by trying hrt. Just interested to learn more about the range of responses. Many thanks all 🙂
Every CIS man I know reacts to Estrogen like it’s radioactive. The couple times I jokingly offered them some they recoiled like I pulled a knife on them. I’m not sure how someone would test that ethically.
That being said, not every trans woman has a euphoric reaction to estrogen, either. Hormones and our reactions to them are complicated and individualized. I’m mentioning this because it seems like you’re setting yourself up for a massive dose of imposter syndrome if E doesn’t immediately live up to your expectations.
Your gender is still valid regardless of your body’s reaction to HRT. If you start HRT and realize it’s not for you, that’s fine. HRT doesn’t define your gender.