Menopause and Hormones Facts that are unbiased are here. Most people have heard of menopause. However, the general assumptions about it are often too narrow. We discuss menopause depression, hair loss in people after menopause, and frequent urination with menopause. Furthermore, we’ve put together this list of facts to ensure that everyone can stay aware of menopause and understand their hormonal health.
Menopause Symptoms
| Symptom | Details |
| Insomnia | Many people with menopause symptoms may experience difficulty sleeping, or a disturbed and disrupted sleep cycle |
| Vaginal Dryness | Many people assigned female at birth, may experience some vaginal dryness. |
| Weight Gain Menopause | There might be some weight gain when menopause happens, this can be normal but sometimes it’s unwanted. |
| Menopause Depression | Some people feel menopausal depression and menopause sadness, this can include feeling low, down, and make you feel down. |
| Difficulty Concentrating | You may have trouble focusing on tasks or procedures or may have noticed a reduction in your ability to focus. |
| Less Frequent Menstruation | As menopause begins, people assigned female at birth may notice that they have less frequent menstrual cycles. |
| Vasomotor symptoms, hot flashes | As menopause begins, and hormones begin to leave your body you may begin to experience hot flashes on a regular basis.
Transgender men may also experience menopausal symptoms like hot flashes when they begin hormone or puberty blockers, these hormone blockers may trigger menopausal symptoms and affect how your body regulates your body temperature due to a lack of estrogen. |
| Heavy or lighter periods than you normally experience | For people assigned female at birth, you may notice that you have much lighter or heavier periods than you normally would have |
| Menopause Hair Loss | You may begin to lose some hair on your body and head as hormones begin to leave your body. |
5 Menopause and Hormones Facts
What is Menopause? What Is Menopause Depression? How Can I Get Menopause and Hormones Facts?
Menopause comes from menses, meaning monthly cycles, and pause, meaning stop.
It means hormone production has begun to cease. Would you believe the most common presentation of menopause is in cisgender women? Here, oestrogen levels decline naturally between the ages of 45 and 55. Although, for some people, it is earlier or later.
- However, age is not the only reason as any lack of oestrogen can cause menopause. In transfeminine people, stopping oestrogen therapy will also cause menopausal symptoms. Contact our team for more information on menopause and hormones facts.
Menopause depression is cause by the hormone estrogen leaving your body. This change in your bodies biochemistry may cause depression, as your body and your mind adapts to life without estrogen.
Does Menopause Only Affect Cis Women?
No. Menopausal symptoms can affect people of all genders. For instance, people assigned female at birth may still be affected by menopause. Symptoms are regardless of whether or not they’re a trans man or non-binary. The signs emerge if they do not alter their hormone profile through testosterone therapy.
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- Transmasculine people who transition later in life may be going through symptoms of menopause. Transmasculine people who do not have enough testosterone will suffer from the lack of hormones.
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What Happens if Your Body Stops Producing Hormones?
When it comes to menopause and hormones facts, you need the right information. Hormones affect almost every part of your body. Early on in life, they’re essential to growth as well as bone and brain development. They affect your reproductive health and nervous system.
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- In transgender youth care, hormone suppression via blockers is followed by HRT. Here, we ensure timely and healthy development. In menopausal people, hormone deficiency can cause a variety of symptoms. Symptoms cover poor mental health, sleep problems, and changes in sex drive.
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Where Do Hormones Come From? How Do They Affect Depression in Menopause
Many people assume that your hormones always come from your gonad. That’s the ovaries in people assigned female at birth. The testes in people designated male at birth – but this isn’t the case.
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- Some trans and non-binary people use HRT to alter their hormone profiles. This can also be the case for cis people who cannot produce hormones. For example, cisgender women who have had hysterectomies will also need HRT. That’s one of our important menopause and hormones facts.
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What Happens if a Doctor Stops Prescribing Hormones? Will I Get Depression and Menopause Again?
Finally, Everyone has the right to control their own hormone profile safely. However, some doctors do not allow this control to their patients. A lack of knowledge means that some doctors or pharmacists refuse hormones.
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- Refusal of hormones is unique to Transgender healthcare. This can cause a variety of health issues. Issues include menopausal symptoms, menopause depression, and menopause anxiety. If you’d like more menopause and hormones facts contact our team.
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Book with a Doctor to Discuss your Hormones
Our medical team at GenderGP are experts in HRT, and can support you with accessing it safely, whatever your age or gender identity. We have so many menopause and hormones facts.
You can find out more about the hormone fluctuations that happen around the menopause with our article on perimenopause. If you have any questions about menopause, HRT, or gender-affirming care, you can always contact us via our website. Alternatively, you can share your story with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
References:
- Minkin, Mary Jane. (2019). Menopause: Hormones, Lifestyle, and Optimizing Aging. Obstetrics and gynecology clinics of North America. 46 (3), pages 501-514. Last Accessed: 26/10/2021
- Francis, A. (2018). Contraceptive challenges and the transgender individual. Women’s midlife health. 4 (1), Page 1.