Safety of hormonal treatment in transgenders.
OBJECTIVE
Discussion of short and long-term issues of cross-hormone treatment of transgender individuals in the light of recent literature.


RESULTS
Gender nonconformity has been depathologized and replaced by gender dysphoria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version V.Safety of cross-sex hormone treatment is still a matter of debate, but the latest findings in literature are quite reassuring about short-term and long-term effects. No dramatic changes in recommendations for treatment have emerged in the past years, and for the most part, clinical work is based on Endocrine Society Clinical Guidelines published in 2009.


CONCLUSIONS
Most recent findings agreed on the importance of maintaining cross-sex hormone serum concentration within the physiological range, avoiding or limiting maximum peaks and troughs.Treatment must be highly individualized and transitioning patients need to be engaged in a 'clinical contract' with the physician in order to ensure compliance with prescribed treatments.Although overall mortality appears to be higher among transgender individuals, this in not attributed to hormonal treatment but to other causes mostly related to lifestyle habits.
Maria Cristina
MC
Meriggiola
Marta
M
Berra
D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D062985:Health Services for Transgender Persons / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D057285:Precision Medicine; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013739:Testosterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D063106:Transgender Persons / Q000523:psychology
D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D004967:Estrogens; D013739:Testosterone