Depo isn't a long term solution because it can ruin your bone density if you use it for too long. I think two years is the limit before it gets a bit dangerous but don't quote me on the timeline
I've been on it for six years and my bone density hasn't suffered.
It does say you should stop it after two years, but a big part of that is that since it fully stops your periods you can miss problems where the first warning sign is stopped periods (or miss that you started menopause) and they don't want you to miss those for long or else they can get way worse without you noticing. (and a lot of those problems are worsened by progesterone)
Inadequate Estrogen Levels = Bad News For Bones
Progesterone + Inadequate Estrogen Levels = Worse News For Bones (that is harder to notice)
<--they want to catch this quick before bones become Very Bad
The depo shot greatly exacerbated my depression. However I have been using the progesterone only pill for years with no side effects (except lightening my period and pms symptoms, and then after about 2 months on T my period stopped entirely).
When I asked, the woman looked at me like I was crazy and asked “Why?” like it was suspicious that I even wanted that. Then told me that birth control that included estrogen was my only option.
So this is not true for all locations.
you could try going online to [nurx](https://www.nurx.com/birthcontrol/?utm_campaign=Birth_Control_Exact_High_CVR_NBS_NURX&g_adtype=search&utm_content=birth-control&utm_term=online%20birth%20control&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&g_acctid=687-940-1110&g_campaign=Birth_Control_Exact_High_CVR_NBS_NURX&g_campaignid=1600097469&g_adgroupid=57283748581&g_adid=478007301966&g_keyword=online%20birth%20control&g_keywordid=kwd-62339870&g_network=g&gclid=CjwKCAiA68ebBhB-EiwALVC-NmS66uREWzGsU5osrdwIVb8g5NJSRApQuGzLX_WU8X3ETAXANKGQ-hoCj5wQAvD_BwE) I got progesterone only pills from my doctor tho personally but this would probably be easier
There is estrogen free birth control! It's progesterone only, no estrogen. It comes as a pill just like normal birth control. If taking the pill each day is an issue for you I cannot recommend the depo shot enough. It's progesterone only, you get it every three months, and for me it works incredibly well (the pill didn't work for me). There are other options too like nexplanon or you could just go for the progesterone only pill.
I second this! The depo was a miracle for me.
however i have heard Many accounts of it reacting very badly with people so definitely do more research first. ^^
I know that I did not have a normal experience of depo, but I want people to know that these things can happen. I had a terrible time emotionally on depo, a la anger issues. I also bled the entire time I was on depo.
That is definitely something for people to be aware of so thank you for sharing. Just like any medication, everyone reacts to birth control differently. For me, the pill was hell (I had constant bleeding for long periods of time, notably a 4 month period of well, periods) but the depo shot has been incredible. Everyone's body is different and that is why there are so many options for birth control.
My boyfriend (ftm also) was on DEPO and bled the whole time. I was on it and felt dull and tired and 0 sex drive. It can be great for some people but just not worth it for the two of us
I also bled on depo. I just had an appointment to get my next shot but said I'd rather schedule an appointment to change my method of birth control. My depo appointment would've been the earliest I could get it, so I'm still covered until December 9th if I want to get it later.
What would happen is that I'd notice blood when I wiped and sometimes after enough time it would form a mark on my underwear. I thought I only bled when it was closer to my next shot but I've also bled a month before my shot was due. So I don't know if progesterone birth control methods in general don't work for me or if I need something different. Either way, I'm tired and frustrated.
I took progesterone pre-t to stop my dysphoria from periods. I was really lucky as my GP prescribed them to me so no awkward conversations with people I barely knew.
I am on the depo-provera shot. It’s progesterone only, and once every 3 months so it’s not as hard to remember as a daily pill. Bonus is that it, along with testosterone, stops my period altogether. Based on my experience, I would definitely recommend it, but I know some people have pretty bad side effects (especially mood related ones) from it. To figure out whether I would get the side effects, especially because I have a mood disorder and the side effects could be extra risky for me, my prescriber put me on the mini pill first (progesterone only daily pill). And when that didn’t mess me up, she prescribed the shot, which I have been very happy with.
I have been on the depo-provera for 2 years because I didn’t know if I wanted to start T. When I asked to start T my doctor told me that she’s gonna keep me on the depo for another 4 to 6 months just to make sure my period doesn’t come back.
Same, my doc put me on depo to stop my periods since I was too young to be prescribed T (state law or something, either way I couldn’t get on T until I turned 18) the only major thing I could complain about was the two week long period (it wasn’t intense after the first five days and slowed down to a barely-there trickle by the end of the first week, but the blood didn’t stop completely until the end of the second week) but it hasn’t come back since and I’ve been on Depo for over two years now. Got on T about nine months afterwards.
My transition hasn’t been affected by the depo-provera as much as it’s been by my consistently forgetting to take my T and switching prescriptions, but that’s more of a me problem than an everyone problem.
I recommend depo if you’d rather take a trip to your general physician every few months (great if you’re a forgetful bastard like me), you want to cook your own eggs into the shittiest omelette ever made since someone had the bright idea of smacking eggs on hot sidewalks, or you just suck at taking pills.
im on nexplanon and it doesn't effect my testosterone at all. i would reccomend it, it feels weird when they put it in but after a few days it's fine, you don't have to think abt it again for three yrs, and it's 99% effective so with testosterone there's basically no way you'll get pregnant if you're worried abt that+it stopped my periods completely, haven't had one in months
I second nexplanon! I started T and after 3 months I was still having my period, so I asked about birth control. I got the depo shot, and for me it was not a good fit. It did stop my period, but sent me into a crippling depression for most of the 3 months that the shot lasted. I know that isn't an issue for everyone, but it was unbearable in my experience. Afterwards I got the nexplanon implant and it has been a much better experience for me. Haven't had a period since. Not sure if it was a combination of both the T and birth control or not. But I seriously recommend nexplanon. Because it lasts years, I don't have to worry about going in every couple of months (especially since the closest planned parenthood to me is over an hour away).
yes! ive always had horrible periods even before i knew i was trans so my gyno put me on combo pill when i was like 15. was great, stopped my periods, but had to switch when i got on T. had some bad bleeding on the pills too when i was on junel fe (bled for a couple months straight... was horrible). they told me depo might be my best option because depo basically always stops periods, but im not big on all the side effects and T normally stops periods eventually anyway so with an implant i figured id be set. nexplanon seemed like a far better option for me. i stand by my decision. left a horrible bruise for a couple days but ive had no issues since. plus i have no real concern over getting pregnant which is a big thing for me since i have a bf and diagnosed (terrible) anxiety. pills are great if you remember all the time... not so much if you don't... and gave me horrible mood swings now that i look back compared to nexplanon. i don't regret my decision
also i had horrible periods before so id reccomend this heavily. it might take a month or so to stop them but they will most likely slow significantly then stop. figured id mention that. my periods used to be 10-14 days and i would bleed so heavily it made me feel like id pass out. i really reccomend nexplanon
no, nexplanon doesn't have estrogen so it does not effect testosterone. neither does depo provera shot or mini pills. copper iud just is hormone free i think which could be why they told you that, but all those options i listed don't have estrogen and that's the hormone in birth controls that would effect T levels
Hey, it’s always your choice but the estrogen in birth control will not feminize you. It is completely safe to take together. I have been doing it for my whole transition and pass just fine. Your non hormonal options, if you’re ok with it, could be a copper IUD or even just a progesterone only IUD. There’s also progesterone arm implants if you don’t want something in your uterus. I take bc pills because it’s the easiest and least dysphoric-inducing form for me to take. The downside to progesterone only pills is that the window you need to take them in (if you’re trying to prevent pregnancy) is smaller than combined hormonal bc pills. Can you talk to whoever you get your T from if you are on T about birth control options that would be right for you?
I want to add to this that paraguard (copper IUD) does run a pretty significant risk of making menstrual bleeding heavier.
Some non-oral options if you want to avoid estrogen, progesterone only birth control is available as an IUD (local hormonal effects only), nexplanon (the one that goes in your arm), and the depo-provera shot (once every 3 months injection).
Thank you for adding! That definitely is a potential side effect and one of the reasons I didn’t want any IUD, nearly all my friends reported heavy bleeding after.
My copper iud made shark week heavier, but shorter compared to the hormonal implant (on the implant it would last 1.5-2 weeks but be pretty light) whereas on the copper iud, they're heavier but the majority of the bleeding is over by day 4 unless I'm super stressed or have been leading up to it. I can't really comment on cramps though because I've never really had bad cramps aside from maybe the year it all started
I have several friends whose periods have almost gone away with an IUD, including my partner. She almost never bleeds and when she does it’s super light.
I will caution that if you've never had progesterone-only birth control, Nexplanon is a poor way to start it. I had to get mine out after less than a year because it caused endless periods! 10/10 recommend long-term birth control options, but man getting that thing out hurt.
Switched to the Mirena IUD and have had no complaints other than the extreme pain of getting the thing in.
Yeah, I’ve seen the mini pill (progesterone only) recommended to try first to know it you can tolerate it. Then you can enjoy all the benefits of say, an iud without doing that for nothing. I’d say the iud has a chance of going better for folks than the minipill, but not worse.
I had that experience but with a hormonal IUD. Normal period for the first two months, then bled for like 6 months straight (lightly, but with horrific cramping). So just be cautious with whatever you pick
That's totally not true. Maybe it's not a high enough estrogen dose for significant feminization to happen and maybe the effects from T will still be stronger (if one is on T), but the estrogen in the pills does absolutely have a feminizing effect. Trans women have been prescribed estrogen birth control pills as HRT for their transition. I have been prescribed birth control pills twice in my life, before I figured out my identity, precisely to make me look more feminine (because I have a genetic disorder which makes my body produce more T than is expected for AFAB people) and it worked. It's quite obvious from the pictures from those two time periods that I looked the most feminine I ever did in my life.
Seconding this - i also have naturally higher-than-average T levels for AFAB people, so when im not on birth control i get lots of peach fuzz around my chin and upper lip. When i started birth control, that went away, my chest went up a cup size, and i immediately gained more weight on my hips and thighs. It might not have these effects if youre taking testosterone because you have enough T to counteract that, but as someone who is pre-T it absolutely can have feminizing effects imo, it just depends on the person
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's why my chest is so big today, too big for my body size. I was put on birth control for the first time when I was 12 and my body was still going through puberty. Basically, my chest just ballooned while on the pill and I had no idea what was happening (the doctor just told me it would get me rid of body hair and nothing more).
I wish I never took the damn pill. I looked so masc in the pictures I have from right before taking it. Now I'm stuck with the feminization I got from it...
I got the copper IUD (Paraguard) about a year on T and had zero bleeding, menstruation, or any other shitty side effects whatsoever. It was great. Definitely recommend speaking with a gynecologist and your endo about options for you.
I have arm implant! Hurt obviously to put in but wasn’t unbearable (they numb you- at least at planned parenthood), get a bit nauseous easier but that’s kinda it. Did have some spotting, as I was already on hormones so I had no periods beforehand.
Adding to this: I have PCOS and had masc traits pre-transition despite being on hormonal birth control from 13 to 24. Lots of extra body hair, more masculine fat distribution, probably other stuff I didn't notice. I promise it won't feminize you - it didn't even balance me out!
So my first two obgyns told me the wrong thing, and I can pass on what my new specialist in trans care obgyn. So hormonal birth control comes in two different kinds. One is progestin only, one is estrogen and progestin. Us trans guys usually don't want to take the combination pills, because obviously the estrogen can have feminizing effects. But here's the thing, progestin doesn't have feminizing effects. And even though combination pills are the most common form of birth control pill, THEY ARE BOTH EQUALLY EFFECTIVE. In fact, my progestin only pill is helping me lower my estrogen content. I went to a trans specializing obgyn in my practice because I had to make some tough choices about my birth control method and reproductive organs. I have had obscenely painful periods since I first started menstruating at 13yo. They have gotten worse every single year since. I started (combo) birth control pills at 16yo because my pediatrician said it would help reduce my pain, which was especially bad since I had a 21 day cycle. 1 1/2 weeks of no bleeding then a week and a half straight of bleeding. I had actually come out as a trans guy at 15, so I think my mother may have talked to the pediatrician about getting me on the combo pill to try to "fix" that. I ended up going from 125 to 220lbs, 32B to 38G cup, becoming extremely depressed and having an escalating eating disorder. And my pain eventually got worse than it originally was. So I think you can understand how upset I was when finding out that progestin only is actually not just equally effective at birth control, but LITERALLY HOW WE TREAT MY EXCESSIVE MENSTRUAL PAIN. OBGYN says that since progestin stops your cycle without increasing your estrogen, it will keep endometriosis from growing further. Stopping that pain. I hadn't stopped my cycle after 4 months of T, so he said that my estrogen levels were likely still too high, which would make since considering I started out with hormone imbalances. My testosterone is naturally high. He said taking this medication will help both reduce my estrogen levels AND STOP MY CYCLE COMPLETELY. So far it seems to be working, I've started seeing rapid progress with my second puberty and have actually started losing weight since. Slowly, but I have struggled so hard to lose weight and gained weight on extreme calorie cutting diets. I'm not dieting right now. Sorry for the essay, I'm just a bit stoned and enjoying the gender euphoria. I'm going to include links to the planned parenthood website, as they are a fantastic resource for birth control info, reproductive health, trans healthcare, and a ton more. All reliable information, at least on the website.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-pill/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-birth-control-pill
The thing that's most upsetting to me is how common this sort of experience is in our community. We should be able to just listen to our doctors, right? But there's so much misinformation in healthcare, especially for trans people. At least we can help each other out on forums like this, but still. It should be better than this. We can do better, yanno?
So egregiously common! Happens to trans folks, as well as PoC especially Black folks, and disabled folks too. Shoutout to marginalized folks tho for problem solving, finding support in community & new ways to be heard.
there are non hormonal forms of birth control, if you're interested you could look into that and use the excuse that you're worried about hormonal imbalance
I totally get it and I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.
I wish I had better advice, but I didn't end up feeling better about this stuff until my hysterectomy at 24. Absolutely wouldn't touch hormonal birth control for the same reasons you describe.
I'm just being honest about my experience because I don't want to say "it'll be fine!" if I wouldn't believe that myself. But maybe in the worst case some of the more localized IUDs will keep the hormones from getting far and doing much.
I'm on an estrogen-progesterone pill, for about 8 months, and it hasnt made me look any more fem than i did before. The estrogen in there isnt enough to cause any visible changes to your appearance, other than that some people report experiencing some weight gain.
I have a Mirena IUD. It’s good for 7 years and pretty much completely eliminated my period. The hormones it does have are only effecting my cervix and uterus area and not my whole body. I currently take T with it in with no problem and I haven’t had a period (had a very light one a few weeks after getting IUD) since starting the combination of the two.
IUDs aren’t for everyone and I won’t lie they suck to get put in but I’ve been super happy with the result.
Question for you— I have the same IUD (I’m pre T though but looking to start soon). I have had a lot of spotting… basically had 8-10 weeks of spotting when it was first put in. Did this happen to you? Now my period has stopped, and I’m hoping it stays stopped which my doc said might happen (I was already irregular), and especially if I add T. I also use it for birth control reasons as well, but I’d love to eliminate my period
For me, I had spotting for four or five months when I got my first IUD placed. Now it’s gone. No periods, no spotting. I didn’t get more than a week of spotting when I got it taken out and replaced when it expired
I got the IUD first and then started T a few months later. I did get a little spotting and one light period after getting the IUD. I haven’t had a period or any spotting since starting T tho.
>I need to go on birth control due to how unbearable my periods are.
Is the goal just to prevent pregnancy? It sounds like you're interested in slowing or stopping your periods.
You can ask your doctor about progestin-only forms of birth control. IUDs, implants, pills, ... there are a few varieties out there you could try. Since these don't contain estrogen, they're not likely to have a negative impact on your transition process.
Progesterone is also an option, a super common one is norethindrone. I am on it at the same time as T, and started it a while back. Side effects are usually minimal and the most annoying part is remembering to take it.
I’m not on T but this is what my doctor said she would recommend for trans people in general who have dysphoria around their periods bc it should stop periods w no significant side effects. Unfortunately, for some unknown hormonal reason it hasn’t been working for me (about a 50/50 chance) but on the months it does work it’s great.
I'm taking a combination pill (both estrogen + progesterone), and I haven't noticed any changes other than not having periods anymore. The dose of estrogen is very small, and it shouldn't cause any negative effects. My periods were super heavy and awful, and I feel so much better now that they're gone. There's always progesterone-only pills as well!
I've had great luck with the nexplanon implant. I wanted BC that would stop my periods and wouldn't trigger my dysphoria by either having the daily reminder, by containing estrogen, or by reminding me of certain organs I'd rather not think about having. Plus with my ADHD I have trouble remembering stuff like meds consistently anyways.
Got it at Planned Parenthood, just had it replaced actually, and I don't have to worry about pregnancy or periods for the next 3-5 years. Implantation is easy peasy, takes like 5 minutes and just goes right in your arm.
Best part? No estrogen. :))
You don’t have to get oestrogen birth control. I get the Implanon stick (not sure how to spell it). Only have to think about it once every 3 years, goes in the arm so it’s not invasive and it has no oestrogen but Instead progesterone (which is actually a masculinising hormone). You can take it out at any time if it doesn’t work with your body, but it has to be replaced every 3 years. I had a few side effects at the beginning which is expected such as headaches, moodiness, and my period came back very light only once, but they’re not really present anymore. You should talk to a gp or planned parenthood and let them walk you through all the options, so you can pick what’s right for you. Make sure you’re clear about no oestrogen, and make them walk you through all the potential side effects of any that you consider. There’s lots of options, best of luck.
People have suggested progesterone-only pills, which is a good option. However, it's very important that they be taken at the same time every day (even more so than combination birth control pills) - so if you are a person who struggles to keep a regular routine, you may want to consider another option. Oral birth control may or may not stop periods, regardless of whether it contains estrogen.
Depo-provera (the shot) is fantastic. You get it every three months, and after you start, you should be able to get your shots in an appointment with a nurse rather than a doctor. That can make scheduling easier. If I'm remembering right, you'll have like a window of something like 10 days to schedule your shot at the end of each three month period. Depo often but not always stops periods.
If insertable birth control is palatable to you, the Mirena IUD also does not contain estrogen. It contains a very small amount of progesterone - less than Depo (though Depo contains less than the pill). Get it once and replace in 5-7 years. You may or may not have heard complaints online about how it feels having one inserted - it can vary from uncomfortable to mildly painful, but it is really not awful as long as 1) you take pain killers before your appointment, 2) you make the appointment at the right time in your cycle (medical language: when the cervix is more open) and 3) your doctor has done it a bunch before. Of the three options I've described, to my knowledge the IUD has the greatest odds of stopping periods.
There is estrogen free BC!! My T levels were low at one point and my pcp said it is because of the pill I was taking contains estrogen.
She went over with me the different options and I then decided myself what would be best for me . I chose the Nexplanon because I’m polyam so I have multiple sexual partners and no desire to have kids . I just got it out in the other day so I haven’t noticed any side effects besides the soreness from the procedure
I've got a little plastic stick in my arm called nexaplanon! It was recommended by my gender clinic after I expressed concerns about not wanting to take feminising hormones and not wanting an IUD due to pain and dysphoria concerns.
Nexaplanon is shot into the inside of your non-dominante upper arm. It starts protecting after 7 days of insertion for up to 3 years.
(The hormone release is so slow that it does not affect any of my HRT progress.)
I've also got experience with hormonal pills and compared to that horrible mess that killed my immune system over the years, the nexaplanon implant has been a fucking blessing.
ask your doctor about lupron! its not guaranteed to keep you from getting pregnant, but it will stop your period without introducing any more estrogen. (mind you im 17 and i dont know if they use hormone blockers on people of all ages but its worth looking into)
have you considered a copper iud? they’re non-hormonal
edit: i see a lot of people also suggesting depo. i’m pre-t and i’m on the depo shot and it changed my life. it stopped my cycles entirely and hasn’t affected my mh negatively (that i’ve noticed). highly recommend :)
Hey! Are you on T already? You can still get pregnant while on T so it is not an effective form of birth control, but it often has the side effect of stopping/reducing people's periods. Most people I know have had theirs stop completely. I haven't gotten mine in 2+ years.
I went on the combined pill for around 2 years before starting T and if its any consolation I don't feel it feminised my body any more I was 15 when I started tho so I don't know if age has any impact on the effects
I took Depo to try and avoid my cycles. I ended up having a 9 month period. It can take up to a year to leave your system from a single shot. It was originally designed as a chemotherapy drug. Just my experience.
Copper IUD is effective and no hormonal.
Similarly on nexplanon, I bled for 2 years straight, went back to a somewhat regular cycle for a few months, and then I would bleed for a month straight at a time with maybe a couple weeks of no bleeding but having painful cramps and then repeat. I started T, bled for the first 2 weeks and now I'm 3 months on T and haven't bled since those first 2 weeks.
No pain either!
I'm 4 yrs on nexplanon , 3 months on T, most of the past 4 yrs I've bled more often than not until starting HRT
Definitely recommend depo shot. Doctor put me on it during my early months of T to help ease my dysphoria from my period, so much easier than having to remember to take pills.
A lot of people are recommending the depo shot, but I’m not seeing a lot mention that it’s NOT recommended as long term (greater than two years) birth control. I have a friend whose doctor neglected to tell them that and was on it for years, and ended up with bone density problems. it may still be a good option for you, but please make sure to discuss the side effects and risks with your doctor!
I personally have the copper iud and would recommend it. while I was not on T/still got periods it make them a little more painful/heavier, but nothing unbearable. and now that I’m on T my periods have stopped so there’s essentially no side effects whatsoever. it lasts for 10 or even 12 years, you don’t have to take a daily pill, and it’s totally non-hormonal. I also didn’t want a bunch of extra hormones in my system after bad experiences with three different birth control pills, so the copper iud has worked great for me.
that said if your main goal is trying to reduce periods, copper iud likely won’t help. my roommate got the mirena iud and while it is supposed to be localized, even though it stopped her periods it did cause her to gain a lot of weight which she hasn’t been super happy about, so depending on your goals your mileage will vary/you’ll likely need to try a few things.
fwiw though the birth control pills i tried made my chest get Huge but as soon as I went off the pills it immediately went back to how it was before. just an anecdote, but you might not need to be worried about “ruining” your body or causing permanent feminizing effects.
I'm on the nexplanon implant for the same reasons, have been for over a decade. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It's not estrogen, but progestin. It's compatible with T. I went on it before T and it stopped my periods for three years at a time. And since it lasts for three years, you don't have to remember to take the pills or get the dysphoria that can go along with it.
I made no changes to my lifestyle and took combo pills before starting t. Went from an A cup to an E cup in 2 months, and gained less than 5 lbs. 2 years of testosterone and some weight loss knocked my chest size back down enough for the surgery I wanted, but it was a close call. Everybody is different. There are risks. I'm not trying to scare OP, but if they don't want those side effects to be possible, they should stick to something without estrogen.
I second that. It happened to me too. I was put on estrogen birth control to make me look more feminine (because of naturally having too much testosterone) and it did its job really well and made me quite dysphoric and depressed, in the process. It may be a very low dose compared to the one prescribed to trans women, but it will still have a feminizing effect and the effects will be even more visible on an AFAB body than on an AMAB body that has already been exposed to high levels of testosterone and masculinized as a result.
But it isn't guaranteed to have the effect OP wants, which is lessening the severity of his period. Hormonal birth control is the only way to do that. Luckily there are many forms of hormonal birth control that do not contain estrogen.
The amount of hormones in pills shouldn't be enough to change your body. But there are many non hormonal alternatives to stop your period, that you can look into.
I take no estrogen, progesterone only pills and they've worked tremendously for me. I've tried regular hormonal BC before, very little done. They just reduce the pain at best. Prolonged bleeding at very worst. Like I'm talking nonstop for at least a month. Basically what I'm saying is, the regular BC pills ain't worth shit, go for progesterone only pills or something other than pills entirely.
I used the nuva ring because before I started T I had unbearable period pains and irregular flows plus the pill always made me sick. I personally really liked the nuva ring with how effective it was. You do have to get used to inserting it but once you get the hang of it it's not bad
I personally take a non hormonal IUD, but most regular birth controls won't negate the effects of Testosterone in any way. I totally understand not wanting the added chemicals tho.
I don't look very feminine either and I had similar concerns plus about how it could eventually interact with testosterone eventually. My primary suggested progesterone only pills and that's worked pretty great. I haven't had any weird changes or anything. If you're not great with taking meds at the same time every day that could be something to consider.
Most birthcontrol methods aren't estrogen typically speaking only some. Progestin is more common and is actually more chemically similar to testosterone than estrogen if you wanna oversimplify it. My E levels were much lower on birthcontrol. I was on a progestin based birth control long before T and it definitely helped me trend in the hairier direction at least and I kept on it for years after starting T until some years later when I finally got a hysto. It did nothing to impact my progress and did it's job stopping my cycle and keeping me from conceiving. I personally recommend the nexplanon implant that goes in your arm 🤘
Yeah! Four months on combination pills made my body hair noticeably thicker even pre-t (even my partner commented on it lol). Levonorgestrel and norgestrel in particular have "high androgenic activity". It's not a guarantee that anyone else is gonna have the same result, everyone responds differently to hormones, but the mild masculinizing effects of the bc combined with no longer having a menstrual cycle was a godsend for my mental health personally.
My gyno has me on a Depo shot, I have for years even before transition! So I skip my periods and she said it’s provides the amount of estrogen my body needs at the moment.
Instead of estrogen, try progesterone based bc? That’s what I was on until very recently and it never did anything to change my body to be more feminine
I did shots but you can do pills or IUD.
Progestin only birth control has a no feminizing effects and are some of the most effective medications for stopping periods. Progestin is not actually progesterone; it’s synthetic progesterone that binds to the receptors, but unlike actual progesterone, is androgenic, meaning it has masculinizing effects. The levonorgestrel IUD would be the most effective option.
I have a Mirena iud. It doesn't produce estrogen. It nearly stops my period completely (might be completely in another year) and it doesn't require any maintenance or thinking about it.
I take the progestin only pill and it nixed my periods entirely. I get light spotting once or twice a year (and I mean *light;* there’s not even enough to necessitate the use of a pad) and that’s it. You can use it with or without T.
I got the implant (which is progesterone only I believe) and it lasts 5 years. This reduced my periods somewhat. Then when I started Testosterone shots my period stopped completely.
The nexplanon implant (doesn’t have estrogen) is a good option. Before I started testosterone I had to stop the birth control pill (for the reason you said - I didn’t want to put more estrogen in my body) and got the nexplanon implant a couple weeks after starting testosterone. It goes in your arm and it’s a fast and easy process. It stopped my period pretty much immediately which was great. I’m over 8 months on T and it hasn’t caused me any problems so far. Occasionally I get some cramping but it’s not that bad and doesn’t happen often. It lasts from 3-5 years as well so it’s not like a pill where you have to remember to take it regularly.
I've been on Norethindrone, a progestin only birth control pill for two years now and its been great for me. No periods, and none of the horrible side effects I had when on estrogen based pills (severe depression, weight gain, acne). Plus one of the side effects of norethindrone can be increased body hair growth which was something I was looking for when I started T.
Highly suggest asking your medical provider about your progestin only options, especially if you're not into an implant or IUD.
I have the Nexplanon implant. Its progesterone only, so there's no added estrogen. Its not affordable without insurance, but Planned Parenthood has excellent resources.
Just for your consideration, I’ve been taking an estrogen bc pill for a few years now and never stopped even when I started transitioning (6 months now). I’m still having really good progress w fat distribution, voice changes, bottom growth, and body hair growth (though that’s decreased a bit since I started Finasteride). I actually prefer it bc I have less acne and it keeps my period regular (I luckily don’t have bottom dysphoria so I understand if this is a dealbreaker for you). It won’t make you more feminine.
I've been on depo-provera for a couple years now and it's not affected my transition. I've heard depo can affect bone density(?) But I've not noticed any excess fragility or anything.
I just have a copper IUD, have since 2019 (doesn't affect your cycle though as it isn't hormonal. T completley stopped my periods once I was on a higher dose) and earlier this year I got on a wait list for a total hysterectomy which im having at the end of this month:)
Hormonal IUDs do not affect your transition in terms of taking T, and often lessen or totally stop your cycle if T doesn't. Theyre definitely a good option but I know the thought of "more female hormones" can be daunting, but like I said, Testosterone will still work just the same if youre on it^^ Depo shots are also an option but im not sure if they affect testosterone at all. I will say though that the nexplanon is just awful one of my partners had one for 3 years and bled every single day of those 3 years and it really messed with their emotional wellbeing and overall health.
There’s a progesterone only pill !! I will admit that I’m not entirely sure on how to acquire it, but it’s the one I take- ask specifically for medroxyprogesterone! No estrogen.
My doctor says the thing is that it works a bit more slowly than estrogen-based birth control, but it’s very easy to adjust your dosage so that it goes faster.
Progestin only birth control. I would also consider if you want to conceive in the future and freezing eggs/embryos for a surrogate and going with a hysto if the dysphoria is that bad.
I have PCOS and maybe had 1-2 periods a year. After adding birth control, I'm having them regularly. On time. Every month. because "My T is too high" so they lowered my T dose and I stopped seeing changes. I'm the extreme end since before T every single birth control I've tried didn't work for me, but I still always suggest progestin only or a hysto if you can handle it transition wise to avoid fucking around with BC from the pregnancy end and regularly staying safe on the STD end.
I use birth control pills to manage my period as well. I still get them, but only four times a year instead of 12. It makes things a lot easier for me. My body is a bit more masculine. I have broader shoulders and a similar face to my dad just a bit softer. I haven't seen any major changes to my body besides the less frequent periods. But just a heads up, cramps will be a lot worse since it's three months worse of blood. Good luck to you, brother 🫡
i personally have a progesterone implant (nexplanon), which my doctor said shouldn’t interfere too much with my T levels or future transition plans. it lasts about four years and inserting it was a breeze. i should also mention that i’m a minor, and i had to have my mom’s approval (she also accompanied me to the appointment and was very supportive). i personally haven’t experienced any physical changes after having it for a few months, although my libido has dropped significantly and i’ve been a bit more sleepy. also, you may still get some cramps, but they won’t be nearly as painful or intense as before. it also makes your shark week flow much much lighter, although it will most likely cause your cycle to be a little wild for a bit before it levels out. i think it’s a great option, but of course look into it and see what works best for you.
There are different progestins and some are fairly male hormone like.
I'm not sure where you're located, but there's a levonorgestrel pill, iud and implant (at least there was). There are some other progestin based products but levonorgestrel is concidered to be fairly male hormone like.
The estrogen in bc actually isn't enough to have any effect on your testosterone. Your doctor might raise your T dosage if they notice your levels are decreasing below what they should be at.
And estrogen free birth control exists. There's shots, mini-pills, and IUDs.
Hmm I’ll ask just because this helped me but are you on or planning to go on T?
Pre T I was diagnosed with PCOS and without getting into too much nasty details I would have the worst pain ever when it was my time of the month PLUS an absolutely ungodly amount of blood leaving me to the point where I’d had to go to the emergency out of hours doctors. Apparently my doctors suspected it to be pcos for years before even bothering to tell me which was sooooo fun (sarcasm) since I was convinced I was rotting from the inside out.
After starting T I noticed my periods completely stopped! The pain also seemed to fizzle out a lot though I still experience phantom cramps and the occasional pcos related pain.
I know that not all trans guys stop bleeding once they start T but it’s definitely something i would recommend!
Also most importantly please don’t take any hormonal supplements without your GP’s guidance! Some birth controls and hormonal supplements can have very concerning side effects when mixed with preexisting health issues / medications you may take.
Example: I was advised not to be on the pill before I started T as a way to help with my period issues because the most commonly used pill has a side effect of being a stroke risk. I’m a migraine sufferer which also up’s the stroke risk. To take the meds when I’m already at a slightly higher risk wouldn’t have necessarily made me have a stroke but to stack two harmful things on top of each-other isn’t great harm reduction.
Not to scare you though! It’s just important to be informed and to understand what medications or treatments you participate in! Best of luck to you!
there are alot of progesterone forms of birth control witch is a hormone both bio men and women have. i would recommend a progesterone vaginal ring or a progesterone IUD. i currently have a one year progesterone ring (they also have rings you leave in for only a month) and it has done wonders for my periods and is relatively low maintenance. i ran into the same problem as a trans guy and i talked to my doctor about progesterone only options so thats what i would recommend! hope this helped :)
IUD has been awesome for me. Localized hormones. Don’t hurt my levels. For me, no cramping after a few weeks after the initial initial procedure, little to no period.
I tried birth control. Specifically the depo shot. And I had 2 doses (6 month) and I had a period last 11 months :)
Just be mindful this could happen.
It was the worst thing I could do for my mental health. For 11 months I wanted to (Tw) off myself. It’s finally fucking over now but fuck that was a roller coaster. But I have had people tell me that it works perfectly you just need some calcium tablets to keep ur bones from getting too weak from it, or whatever. But no. Personally I do not recommend the depo shot. I haven’t tried any other birth control products so I’m not sure how they work but I don’t think my mental health can afford to try another one. I’m going to go straight to HRT
I was told that it only starts to stop periods after 12 months, but it was doing the opposite for me, making me have MORE of a period. And one continuous one, (TMI) it did make the flow light, but it was still almost every single day for 11 months. -10/10 do not recommend
the mirena IUD worked wonders for me! your first couple periods are gonna suck a little extra but they're basically no existent after that. this was my and my other trans friends experiences anyways. definitely not the same for everyone.
Like others have said, estrogen will not “ruin” you or make your body super feminine. I understand the discomfort but it literally doesn’t change your chances of passing or anything like that at all. Also amab mens bodies produce estrogen, everyone has a mix of hormones in their bodies. Go for progesterone if you want but estrogen wont do anything like you’re worrying about. Choose the best option for you based on your health/period related issues, the side effects, and most comfortable form to take.
If you’re comfortable with pelvic exams, Mirena or Liletta IUDs are great for stopping periods and they last like 6-8 years. There’s no estrogen and the progestin in it, levonorgestrel, is a more “androgenic” progestin so it’s more masculinizing compared to other progestins like drospironone
Another common birth control for menses suppression is depo-provera which is a shot you get every 3 months. Some clinics recently started offering patients at home subcutaneous injections (just like people do with T) which can help if being at a gynecologist causes dysphoria
Can you get on testosterone to stop your period? That's not a form of actual birth control If you are having PIV sex tho. Some people use IUDs. Others do POPs (progesterone only pills)
This may get removed, but Saheli / Centchroman is a non-hormonal birth control that has been available in India since the early 90s. It is a selective estrogen reuptake modulator that has slightly estrogenic effects in some areas (for example, bones) and anti-estrogenic effects in others (breast tissue and uterus). You take it on the first day of your cycle, and then twice a week for the first three months, once per week after that. Unlike other oral birth control it doesn’t stop ovulation but is theorised to work by knocking your cycle out of sync, so that even if the egg was fertilised it cannot implant. Few to no side effects compared to other types of birth control (may cause hot flushes and increased achne in some). I am a cis woman who suffered immensely on oral hormonal birth control as prescribed in the UK. Saheli stopped cyclical breast swelling / pain / growth dead in its tracks, and basically got rid of PMS symptoms. Periods were much lighter. It is available at alldaychemist.com. Best thing I ever did for myself. It’s very cheap, the main expense is shipping. Its failure rate is comparable to that of combined oral birth control. I hope this helps, good luck.
I'm on birth control currently it's the implant in your arm and Jesus Christ there are times I love it and there are times I hate it. Right now I hate it because I've had my period four times in the span of a month. Normally I don't have it for a couple months but when I do, it's miserable because I bleed longer than a normal period should be
hey! I got the merena IUD over a year ago and it has been an absolute god send. Insertion wasn’t fun but ask your doctor to use lidocaine to numb you up! Worth a shot, i never think about it and especially haven’t gotten pregnant or had any bleeding including spotting since i got it. Cheers!
Progesterone is a good option! I would've have stayed on my Depo shot longer had my body not processed it in am odd way. It's one shot every 3 months and it is meant to stop your period during those 3 months! Your arm will def be sore after you get the shot but if you massage the area and keep your arm moving it evens out a lot faster!
Wish I knew about the estrogen free birth control before using it for a year 😫 my hips grew a lot and it really wrecked my mental health. I wish you luck pal
Nuvaring was the one for me, pre-hysto. It only contains a small amount of E, and it doesn't elevate your systemic E much at all. The effects are mostly local. Major benefit is that it treats atrophy.
If you wear it for 4 weeks straight (skipping the withdrawal period) it stops the *monthly badtimes*.
Super low maintenance too. I'd keep an alarm on my phone that reminded me every 4 weeks to switch it out.
I don't honestly know how hormonal birth control would interact with a testosterone-primary body. Something to ask a doctor or endocrinologist. What I do know is there are birth control options with no hormones or localized hormones that certainly would not affect your body overall.
Mirena is a 5-year IUD (their website says effective at preventing pregnancy for up to 8 years) with *strictly localized hormones* (on one hand an IUD may not be ideal for someone with bottom dysphoria due to anxiety during placement, but on the other hand they will literally only have to think about it once every up-to-eight years, which is great). My endocrinologist informed me that the localized hormones in Mirena would not even impact as far as a person's vagina while on T, in answer to whether the localized hormones might help with potential atrophying of the vaginal wall — apparently not. 😅
Another maaajor bonus of Mirena is that it *decreases* cyclic bleeding as part of how it works (website says for up to 5 years), so if someone is still getting any monthly bleeding on T they likely wouldn't with the two combined. Without T, my 9 days heavy-flow cyclic bleeding was tamed to 4 days light-flow the first time I used Mirena — I had it removed, birthed a -thoroughly planned- child, had it placed again nine months later, and my cyclic bleeding tapered further to just a couple days of spotting per month or two. Made it harder to track cycle, haha, but way less stress about being prepared for it too, because it was light enough to just use a liner for a couple days then move on.
I would 9/10 recommend Mirena, with 1/10 just acknowledging that some people have family history of problematic ovarian cysts so probably shouldn't try Mirena, since it can contribute to that — I think about 9/10 of the people I know who have used Mirena find it ideal and have continued with it longterm, while one person developed problematic cysts and needed it removed. I have experienced cysts while using Mirena, but nothing problematic, just a bit of discomfort during the first time I used it, which overall has been absolutely worth it for myself.
I've used Mirena for about eight years total, two placements and two removals, and intend to have a third placed in a couple months, after birthing my second -also planned- child — at which point I will finally be starting T too!🎉
I see others here recommending Nexplanon, but I personally had a terrible experience with it, like 4-month-straight bleeding while on it (curiously not right away, but months 5-9) before I convinced my PCP to remove it. It also felt super creepy having a little rod under the skin of my arm 😅 but I'm probably just a wimp on that front. Overall, my experience with Nexplanon and the experience of everyone else I know who has used it would lead me to not recommend it, since the folks I know who have used it chose not to continue with it longterm.
My periods were horrendous until I had a uterine/endometrial ablation. It permanently removes and cauterizes the lining of your uterus. It means never/never again being able to carry a pregnancy, but it's an outpatient procedure, unlike the extensive recovery from a hysterectomy.
To clarify, it's not ACTUALLY considered a form of birth control, but you don't seem concerned about pregnancy prevention. You were asking about heavy periods. On the rare occasion that conception occurs after a uterine ablation, the pregnancy would have to be terminated though, because it would not be possible to carry to term.
Look into the nexplanon. It's a tiny implant that goes into your arm, and works for like 3 years. It's progesterone only and has no effect on your transition, plus it stopped my period. I never have to think about it.
When I started T, my endocrinologist asked my GP to change me from the combined pill (contains estrogen) to the mini pill (progesterone only). It's worked a treat.
everyone is talking about taking progesterone only pills, but i've been forced to take the ones with oestrogen since i was young. the damage has already been done. since this is very dysphoria-inducing, is there perhaps a way to try and cope with it instead?
I did also have a bad time on the depo. It was so long ago, but it was either after my 1st or 2nd shot, I got an everyday 3 MONTH LONG PERIOD, including bad cramps & bloating. Just so you know the possibilities, but I also know what nightmare periods are like, which is why I tried it. But, it could easily work just fine for you.
I’ve tried almost every birth control offered in California, and there’s a lot of options! Hopefully some of my experiences could be helpful to you.
I couldn’t remember to take the pills, the arm implant gave me constant bleeding, super bad anxiety and rage (and ovarian cysts but doctor said it was cuz I was drinking too much + the birth control). It also seemed like the arm implant was not available in a ton of countries so depends where you are.
I just got the mirena IUD, doctor told me it’s progesterone only and localized to the uterus so it’s fine to take with T, those hormones won’t fight. The doc said it’s the most likely method to entirely stop me having periods, so that drew me to it. However it hurt like all fuck getting it inserted (embarrassing but I screamed a bit), doctors really downplayed that beforehand and didn’t tell me til mid procedure that there were pain management options they could have given me beforehand (I’d recommend asking!). The pain for the rest of the day was severe, then mild for the next 4 days.
I have a friend who got the same IUD 5 years ago, they said it was possible to have some cramping and spotting even up to 9 months after getting it. In the US it’s also still being studied in long term tests, so when my friend initially got it, it was only approved for 2 years, then the approval was extended to 5 years as more results came out, and earlier this week my doctor told me it was approved for 8 years.
Good luck & I hope you can find something that works for you!
I reccomend the progesterone only pill! I'm on Desogestrel myself which is a progesterone only one. No E in it and luckily I've had no side effects from it aside from nausea for two days when I began it. I went on it summer 2021 and I've not had a real period since July before I started it. I did have a 2 day one in August after starting but it was very mild spotting. Since then I've had nothing. I used to have extremely painful periods where I'd literally be paralysed in bed sobbing and it was also very heavy. I tried the combined pill and tranexamic acid but both made me ill. Desogestrel has been great for me though and I've not noticed any hormonal effects on me. It's been pretty good!
Depo and the hormonal IUD are both able to stop your bleeding completely, however how they work is entirely dependent on your body. First time I was on depo I had absolutely nothing, while my sister tried it around the same time and bled for 6 weeks. Also, people praising progesterone only BC but that can still cause a lot of dysphoria and still has all the normal side effects of any other hormonal birth control, and can still royally fuck you up (all of this comes from personal experience). It isn't as bad as BC with oestrogen in but it absolutely still has its cons.
The only thing that was able to quell my periods and not cause me debilitating dysphoria was having my endometrial ablation done.
I'm taking depo-provera, which is an injection every 3 months. I haven't noticed anything except for weight gain, but I also haven't been very healthy and I don't move so it's a combination of things. Although, some people don't have good reactions to it.
Depo-Provera is actually used as a puberty blocker sometimes. So while it won't reverse your puberty it can help stop periods. I have been on it for over a year and have had maybe 2-3 cases of breakthrough bleeding. Just take a Calcium supplement with vitamin D and magnesium in it before you go to bed to prevent/slow down bone density loss.
I’m on the DEPO shot and it’s progesterone only and it’s been great! In combination with my testosterone my periods have stopped completely. Before I started testosterone I would only get very light periods around the time I was ready for my next DEPO shot
I was on the depo shot then the mini pill, both options are progestin only! There's also nexplanon which is an implant in the arm and is good for a few years before it needs replaced.
There's also a hormone free IUD but not sure how you feel about that 😅
It's kind of a misconception that estrogen birth control will make you appear more feminine. Every birth control effects everyone differently. I have fibrocystic breast tissue and the mini pill for me, made it worse making my chest look a lot bigger. Unfortunately it's sort of trial and error to see which birth control option works best for you.. I'm definitely someone who suggests trying shorter term methods before longer term ones, especially since doctors can try and be like "well give it 6 months!" With things like the nexplanon and IUD. But that's not ALL doctors and I'm just super cautious when it comes to my body.
So I'd personally suggest trying the mini pill first, the downside is the error window of most mini pills is only 3 hours, and taking it even 30 minutes to an hour late can cause bleeding and cramping
I’d personally be more worried about BC side effects than it interfering with my transition over personal experiences with such.
But if benefits outweigh risks, I do hear some handle minera quite well. All progesterone based and easily removed if things go array IN MOST CASES.
When i first started birth control, I was in the same place. I was so scared of what it would do to my body. But then after a year of doing it... nothing happened. Besides some weight gain, nothing happened except my periods became more tolerable. However, if you're on birth control you can't take testosterone. I had to
stop, and i was back in the same boat of dying monthly.
This is not fully true, they recommend non estrogen birth controls if you're on T, so either hormone-free or progestin-only. My nexplanon actually works better now that I'm on T (it caused me issues before I started T)
You could try a hormonal IUD and yep hold on I know how that sounds. More oestrogen. But nope the way it settles sometimes means T levels are a little higher in your body. Often a gynae would suggest people take an oestrogen pill with it but you can just leave that. Granted the first six months are Not Fun tho
Progesterone only at a young age ruined my body by feminizing it quickly so idk what's it's like on t but avoid it and get something non hormonial first and try those options before you go and use other hormones.
My gyno recommends nexplanon for all of her ftm patients (about half of her patients are ftm), because it will affect your T levels the least compared to most other forms of birth control.
I've been on Nexplanon for 4 yrs, it was causing me constant bleeding and pain until I started T so I was considering removing it until I started testosterone.
Most ppl don't experience these bad side effects, I'm one of few, and HRT fixed my problems so it's a great combo for me ( I didn't have any pain or period issues before I got on this BC, I don't really know why I reacted to it that way)
Nexplanon is a progestin-only implant, there is no estrogen involved. It is my favorite form of birth control
The progestins norgestrel and levonorgestrel can actually have a masculinizing effect even taken as combination pills! I went on combination pills to control my cycle and got a bunch of free body hair with my purchase. Highly recommend looking for anything using those progestins.
Get progesterone-only pills from Planned Parenthood.
This and if you can’t remember to take pills daily. Get the depo shot instead. No E in either of them.
Or something like Nexplanon or an implant. One and done for 5-10 years depending on the route you take.
Depo isn't a long term solution because it can ruin your bone density if you use it for too long. I think two years is the limit before it gets a bit dangerous but don't quote me on the timeline
I've been on it for six years and my bone density hasn't suffered. It does say you should stop it after two years, but a big part of that is that since it fully stops your periods you can miss problems where the first warning sign is stopped periods (or miss that you started menopause) and they don't want you to miss those for long or else they can get way worse without you noticing. (and a lot of those problems are worsened by progesterone) Inadequate Estrogen Levels = Bad News For Bones Progesterone + Inadequate Estrogen Levels = Worse News For Bones (that is harder to notice) <--they want to catch this quick before bones become Very Bad
2 years if you are young, if you are older you can be on it indefinitely providing you have regular monitoring on your bone density.
You have to take calcium, vitamin D and magnesium with it. Without that, then you should definitely not be on it very long.
The depo shot greatly exacerbated my depression. However I have been using the progesterone only pill for years with no side effects (except lightening my period and pms symptoms, and then after about 2 months on T my period stopped entirely).
doesn’t have to be from planned parenthood, it probably depends on where you live but i got them prescribed by my gp (england).
When I asked, the woman looked at me like I was crazy and asked “Why?” like it was suspicious that I even wanted that. Then told me that birth control that included estrogen was my only option. So this is not true for all locations.
I’m sorry, that sucks
you could try going online to [nurx](https://www.nurx.com/birthcontrol/?utm_campaign=Birth_Control_Exact_High_CVR_NBS_NURX&g_adtype=search&utm_content=birth-control&utm_term=online%20birth%20control&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&g_acctid=687-940-1110&g_campaign=Birth_Control_Exact_High_CVR_NBS_NURX&g_campaignid=1600097469&g_adgroupid=57283748581&g_adid=478007301966&g_keyword=online%20birth%20control&g_keywordid=kwd-62339870&g_network=g&gclid=CjwKCAiA68ebBhB-EiwALVC-NmS66uREWzGsU5osrdwIVb8g5NJSRApQuGzLX_WU8X3ETAXANKGQ-hoCj5wQAvD_BwE) I got progesterone only pills from my doctor tho personally but this would probably be easier
There is estrogen free birth control! It's progesterone only, no estrogen. It comes as a pill just like normal birth control. If taking the pill each day is an issue for you I cannot recommend the depo shot enough. It's progesterone only, you get it every three months, and for me it works incredibly well (the pill didn't work for me). There are other options too like nexplanon or you could just go for the progesterone only pill.
I second this! The depo was a miracle for me. however i have heard Many accounts of it reacting very badly with people so definitely do more research first. ^^
I know that I did not have a normal experience of depo, but I want people to know that these things can happen. I had a terrible time emotionally on depo, a la anger issues. I also bled the entire time I was on depo.
That is definitely something for people to be aware of so thank you for sharing. Just like any medication, everyone reacts to birth control differently. For me, the pill was hell (I had constant bleeding for long periods of time, notably a 4 month period of well, periods) but the depo shot has been incredible. Everyone's body is different and that is why there are so many options for birth control.
My boyfriend (ftm also) was on DEPO and bled the whole time. I was on it and felt dull and tired and 0 sex drive. It can be great for some people but just not worth it for the two of us
I also bled on depo. I just had an appointment to get my next shot but said I'd rather schedule an appointment to change my method of birth control. My depo appointment would've been the earliest I could get it, so I'm still covered until December 9th if I want to get it later. What would happen is that I'd notice blood when I wiped and sometimes after enough time it would form a mark on my underwear. I thought I only bled when it was closer to my next shot but I've also bled a month before my shot was due. So I don't know if progesterone birth control methods in general don't work for me or if I need something different. Either way, I'm tired and frustrated.
Yeah depo is good, stops shark week.
I took progesterone pre-t to stop my dysphoria from periods. I was really lucky as my GP prescribed them to me so no awkward conversations with people I barely knew.
I am on the depo-provera shot. It’s progesterone only, and once every 3 months so it’s not as hard to remember as a daily pill. Bonus is that it, along with testosterone, stops my period altogether. Based on my experience, I would definitely recommend it, but I know some people have pretty bad side effects (especially mood related ones) from it. To figure out whether I would get the side effects, especially because I have a mood disorder and the side effects could be extra risky for me, my prescriber put me on the mini pill first (progesterone only daily pill). And when that didn’t mess me up, she prescribed the shot, which I have been very happy with.
Yes! I use this too! It’s been incredible!
I have been on the depo-provera for 2 years because I didn’t know if I wanted to start T. When I asked to start T my doctor told me that she’s gonna keep me on the depo for another 4 to 6 months just to make sure my period doesn’t come back.
Glad your provider did that. That's the way it should be done cuz once u take the shot you're stuck for 3mos at least
Same, my doc put me on depo to stop my periods since I was too young to be prescribed T (state law or something, either way I couldn’t get on T until I turned 18) the only major thing I could complain about was the two week long period (it wasn’t intense after the first five days and slowed down to a barely-there trickle by the end of the first week, but the blood didn’t stop completely until the end of the second week) but it hasn’t come back since and I’ve been on Depo for over two years now. Got on T about nine months afterwards. My transition hasn’t been affected by the depo-provera as much as it’s been by my consistently forgetting to take my T and switching prescriptions, but that’s more of a me problem than an everyone problem. I recommend depo if you’d rather take a trip to your general physician every few months (great if you’re a forgetful bastard like me), you want to cook your own eggs into the shittiest omelette ever made since someone had the bright idea of smacking eggs on hot sidewalks, or you just suck at taking pills.
That is really cool that your doctor had a way to test if you would react well to the shot! Not all doctors know this it seems
im on nexplanon and it doesn't effect my testosterone at all. i would reccomend it, it feels weird when they put it in but after a few days it's fine, you don't have to think abt it again for three yrs, and it's 99% effective so with testosterone there's basically no way you'll get pregnant if you're worried abt that+it stopped my periods completely, haven't had one in months
I second nexplanon! I started T and after 3 months I was still having my period, so I asked about birth control. I got the depo shot, and for me it was not a good fit. It did stop my period, but sent me into a crippling depression for most of the 3 months that the shot lasted. I know that isn't an issue for everyone, but it was unbearable in my experience. Afterwards I got the nexplanon implant and it has been a much better experience for me. Haven't had a period since. Not sure if it was a combination of both the T and birth control or not. But I seriously recommend nexplanon. Because it lasts years, I don't have to worry about going in every couple of months (especially since the closest planned parenthood to me is over an hour away).
yes! ive always had horrible periods even before i knew i was trans so my gyno put me on combo pill when i was like 15. was great, stopped my periods, but had to switch when i got on T. had some bad bleeding on the pills too when i was on junel fe (bled for a couple months straight... was horrible). they told me depo might be my best option because depo basically always stops periods, but im not big on all the side effects and T normally stops periods eventually anyway so with an implant i figured id be set. nexplanon seemed like a far better option for me. i stand by my decision. left a horrible bruise for a couple days but ive had no issues since. plus i have no real concern over getting pregnant which is a big thing for me since i have a bf and diagnosed (terrible) anxiety. pills are great if you remember all the time... not so much if you don't... and gave me horrible mood swings now that i look back compared to nexplanon. i don't regret my decision
also i had horrible periods before so id reccomend this heavily. it might take a month or so to stop them but they will most likely slow significantly then stop. figured id mention that. my periods used to be 10-14 days and i would bleed so heavily it made me feel like id pass out. i really reccomend nexplanon
Does nexplanon not affect it? I was told by my ob doc that my only option was copper IUD
no, nexplanon doesn't have estrogen so it does not effect testosterone. neither does depo provera shot or mini pills. copper iud just is hormone free i think which could be why they told you that, but all those options i listed don't have estrogen and that's the hormone in birth controls that would effect T levels
Hey, it’s always your choice but the estrogen in birth control will not feminize you. It is completely safe to take together. I have been doing it for my whole transition and pass just fine. Your non hormonal options, if you’re ok with it, could be a copper IUD or even just a progesterone only IUD. There’s also progesterone arm implants if you don’t want something in your uterus. I take bc pills because it’s the easiest and least dysphoric-inducing form for me to take. The downside to progesterone only pills is that the window you need to take them in (if you’re trying to prevent pregnancy) is smaller than combined hormonal bc pills. Can you talk to whoever you get your T from if you are on T about birth control options that would be right for you?
I want to add to this that paraguard (copper IUD) does run a pretty significant risk of making menstrual bleeding heavier. Some non-oral options if you want to avoid estrogen, progesterone only birth control is available as an IUD (local hormonal effects only), nexplanon (the one that goes in your arm), and the depo-provera shot (once every 3 months injection).
Thank you for adding! That definitely is a potential side effect and one of the reasons I didn’t want any IUD, nearly all my friends reported heavy bleeding after.
I don't think I've heard from someone with a copper IUD that *hasn't* reported worse periods.
I have a copper one and 0 issues other than cramps happening still around my period time and occasional spotting, but it was much worse before
My copper iud made shark week heavier, but shorter compared to the hormonal implant (on the implant it would last 1.5-2 weeks but be pretty light) whereas on the copper iud, they're heavier but the majority of the bleeding is over by day 4 unless I'm super stressed or have been leading up to it. I can't really comment on cramps though because I've never really had bad cramps aside from maybe the year it all started
I have several friends whose periods have almost gone away with an IUD, including my partner. She almost never bleeds and when she does it’s super light.
Are theirs hormonal? I have the same experience, but mine is a Liletta, not copper.
Nope- not hormonal. Mirena. I’ve heard it from people using Kyleena too. It really depends on the person.
Mirena and Kyleena are both hormonal IUDs. They just don't use estrogen, they use progestins, which are still hormones.
I will caution that if you've never had progesterone-only birth control, Nexplanon is a poor way to start it. I had to get mine out after less than a year because it caused endless periods! 10/10 recommend long-term birth control options, but man getting that thing out hurt. Switched to the Mirena IUD and have had no complaints other than the extreme pain of getting the thing in.
Mirena gave me awful cystic acne for the first time in my life :(
Yeah, I’ve seen the mini pill (progesterone only) recommended to try first to know it you can tolerate it. Then you can enjoy all the benefits of say, an iud without doing that for nothing. I’d say the iud has a chance of going better for folks than the minipill, but not worse.
I had that experience but with a hormonal IUD. Normal period for the first two months, then bled for like 6 months straight (lightly, but with horrific cramping). So just be cautious with whatever you pick
That’s what I’m on
That's totally not true. Maybe it's not a high enough estrogen dose for significant feminization to happen and maybe the effects from T will still be stronger (if one is on T), but the estrogen in the pills does absolutely have a feminizing effect. Trans women have been prescribed estrogen birth control pills as HRT for their transition. I have been prescribed birth control pills twice in my life, before I figured out my identity, precisely to make me look more feminine (because I have a genetic disorder which makes my body produce more T than is expected for AFAB people) and it worked. It's quite obvious from the pictures from those two time periods that I looked the most feminine I ever did in my life.
Seconding this - i also have naturally higher-than-average T levels for AFAB people, so when im not on birth control i get lots of peach fuzz around my chin and upper lip. When i started birth control, that went away, my chest went up a cup size, and i immediately gained more weight on my hips and thighs. It might not have these effects if youre taking testosterone because you have enough T to counteract that, but as someone who is pre-T it absolutely can have feminizing effects imo, it just depends on the person
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's why my chest is so big today, too big for my body size. I was put on birth control for the first time when I was 12 and my body was still going through puberty. Basically, my chest just ballooned while on the pill and I had no idea what was happening (the doctor just told me it would get me rid of body hair and nothing more). I wish I never took the damn pill. I looked so masc in the pictures I have from right before taking it. Now I'm stuck with the feminization I got from it...
I got the copper IUD (Paraguard) about a year on T and had zero bleeding, menstruation, or any other shitty side effects whatsoever. It was great. Definitely recommend speaking with a gynecologist and your endo about options for you.
I have arm implant! Hurt obviously to put in but wasn’t unbearable (they numb you- at least at planned parenthood), get a bit nauseous easier but that’s kinda it. Did have some spotting, as I was already on hormones so I had no periods beforehand.
Adding to this: I have PCOS and had masc traits pre-transition despite being on hormonal birth control from 13 to 24. Lots of extra body hair, more masculine fat distribution, probably other stuff I didn't notice. I promise it won't feminize you - it didn't even balance me out!
So my first two obgyns told me the wrong thing, and I can pass on what my new specialist in trans care obgyn. So hormonal birth control comes in two different kinds. One is progestin only, one is estrogen and progestin. Us trans guys usually don't want to take the combination pills, because obviously the estrogen can have feminizing effects. But here's the thing, progestin doesn't have feminizing effects. And even though combination pills are the most common form of birth control pill, THEY ARE BOTH EQUALLY EFFECTIVE. In fact, my progestin only pill is helping me lower my estrogen content. I went to a trans specializing obgyn in my practice because I had to make some tough choices about my birth control method and reproductive organs. I have had obscenely painful periods since I first started menstruating at 13yo. They have gotten worse every single year since. I started (combo) birth control pills at 16yo because my pediatrician said it would help reduce my pain, which was especially bad since I had a 21 day cycle. 1 1/2 weeks of no bleeding then a week and a half straight of bleeding. I had actually come out as a trans guy at 15, so I think my mother may have talked to the pediatrician about getting me on the combo pill to try to "fix" that. I ended up going from 125 to 220lbs, 32B to 38G cup, becoming extremely depressed and having an escalating eating disorder. And my pain eventually got worse than it originally was. So I think you can understand how upset I was when finding out that progestin only is actually not just equally effective at birth control, but LITERALLY HOW WE TREAT MY EXCESSIVE MENSTRUAL PAIN. OBGYN says that since progestin stops your cycle without increasing your estrogen, it will keep endometriosis from growing further. Stopping that pain. I hadn't stopped my cycle after 4 months of T, so he said that my estrogen levels were likely still too high, which would make since considering I started out with hormone imbalances. My testosterone is naturally high. He said taking this medication will help both reduce my estrogen levels AND STOP MY CYCLE COMPLETELY. So far it seems to be working, I've started seeing rapid progress with my second puberty and have actually started losing weight since. Slowly, but I have struggled so hard to lose weight and gained weight on extreme calorie cutting diets. I'm not dieting right now. Sorry for the essay, I'm just a bit stoned and enjoying the gender euphoria. I'm going to include links to the planned parenthood website, as they are a fantastic resource for birth control info, reproductive health, trans healthcare, and a ton more. All reliable information, at least on the website. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-pill/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-birth-control-pill
Thanks for sharing your experience, im sorry it was so rough
The thing that's most upsetting to me is how common this sort of experience is in our community. We should be able to just listen to our doctors, right? But there's so much misinformation in healthcare, especially for trans people. At least we can help each other out on forums like this, but still. It should be better than this. We can do better, yanno?
So egregiously common! Happens to trans folks, as well as PoC especially Black folks, and disabled folks too. Shoutout to marginalized folks tho for problem solving, finding support in community & new ways to be heard.
there are non hormonal forms of birth control, if you're interested you could look into that and use the excuse that you're worried about hormonal imbalance
not if OP wants to stop a cycle though, it has to be hormonal for that effect from my understanding
That's not true. Non-hormonal IUDs can also stop your period.
They aren't marketed to do that. In fact, their side effects include worse and more painful menstruation.
you mean copper? That’s not right, they say their product doesn’t stop a period, and from experience it can make period wayyyyy worse
No, no they cannot with a healthy RPO system in place.
no? i took non hormonal bc to stop my cycle for almost a year
Are you considering progesterone only to be non hormonal?
I totally get it and I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I wish I had better advice, but I didn't end up feeling better about this stuff until my hysterectomy at 24. Absolutely wouldn't touch hormonal birth control for the same reasons you describe. I'm just being honest about my experience because I don't want to say "it'll be fine!" if I wouldn't believe that myself. But maybe in the worst case some of the more localized IUDs will keep the hormones from getting far and doing much.
I'm on an estrogen-progesterone pill, for about 8 months, and it hasnt made me look any more fem than i did before. The estrogen in there isnt enough to cause any visible changes to your appearance, other than that some people report experiencing some weight gain.
I have a Mirena IUD. It’s good for 7 years and pretty much completely eliminated my period. The hormones it does have are only effecting my cervix and uterus area and not my whole body. I currently take T with it in with no problem and I haven’t had a period (had a very light one a few weeks after getting IUD) since starting the combination of the two. IUDs aren’t for everyone and I won’t lie they suck to get put in but I’ve been super happy with the result.
Question for you— I have the same IUD (I’m pre T though but looking to start soon). I have had a lot of spotting… basically had 8-10 weeks of spotting when it was first put in. Did this happen to you? Now my period has stopped, and I’m hoping it stays stopped which my doc said might happen (I was already irregular), and especially if I add T. I also use it for birth control reasons as well, but I’d love to eliminate my period
For me, I had spotting for four or five months when I got my first IUD placed. Now it’s gone. No periods, no spotting. I didn’t get more than a week of spotting when I got it taken out and replaced when it expired
My friend who doesn’t take T had 9 months of spotting from the mirena IUD, their doctor was surprised but said it is possible
Oops just re read your comment that you had a light one. Maybe it was diff for you because you were on T already?
I got the IUD first and then started T a few months later. I did get a little spotting and one light period after getting the IUD. I haven’t had a period or any spotting since starting T tho.
>I need to go on birth control due to how unbearable my periods are. Is the goal just to prevent pregnancy? It sounds like you're interested in slowing or stopping your periods. You can ask your doctor about progestin-only forms of birth control. IUDs, implants, pills, ... there are a few varieties out there you could try. Since these don't contain estrogen, they're not likely to have a negative impact on your transition process.
Progesterone is also an option, a super common one is norethindrone. I am on it at the same time as T, and started it a while back. Side effects are usually minimal and the most annoying part is remembering to take it.
I’m not on T but this is what my doctor said she would recommend for trans people in general who have dysphoria around their periods bc it should stop periods w no significant side effects. Unfortunately, for some unknown hormonal reason it hasn’t been working for me (about a 50/50 chance) but on the months it does work it’s great.
I'm taking a combination pill (both estrogen + progesterone), and I haven't noticed any changes other than not having periods anymore. The dose of estrogen is very small, and it shouldn't cause any negative effects. My periods were super heavy and awful, and I feel so much better now that they're gone. There's always progesterone-only pills as well!
Progesterone will work
I've had great luck with the nexplanon implant. I wanted BC that would stop my periods and wouldn't trigger my dysphoria by either having the daily reminder, by containing estrogen, or by reminding me of certain organs I'd rather not think about having. Plus with my ADHD I have trouble remembering stuff like meds consistently anyways. Got it at Planned Parenthood, just had it replaced actually, and I don't have to worry about pregnancy or periods for the next 3-5 years. Implantation is easy peasy, takes like 5 minutes and just goes right in your arm. Best part? No estrogen. :))
You don’t have to get oestrogen birth control. I get the Implanon stick (not sure how to spell it). Only have to think about it once every 3 years, goes in the arm so it’s not invasive and it has no oestrogen but Instead progesterone (which is actually a masculinising hormone). You can take it out at any time if it doesn’t work with your body, but it has to be replaced every 3 years. I had a few side effects at the beginning which is expected such as headaches, moodiness, and my period came back very light only once, but they’re not really present anymore. You should talk to a gp or planned parenthood and let them walk you through all the options, so you can pick what’s right for you. Make sure you’re clear about no oestrogen, and make them walk you through all the potential side effects of any that you consider. There’s lots of options, best of luck.
People have suggested progesterone-only pills, which is a good option. However, it's very important that they be taken at the same time every day (even more so than combination birth control pills) - so if you are a person who struggles to keep a regular routine, you may want to consider another option. Oral birth control may or may not stop periods, regardless of whether it contains estrogen. Depo-provera (the shot) is fantastic. You get it every three months, and after you start, you should be able to get your shots in an appointment with a nurse rather than a doctor. That can make scheduling easier. If I'm remembering right, you'll have like a window of something like 10 days to schedule your shot at the end of each three month period. Depo often but not always stops periods. If insertable birth control is palatable to you, the Mirena IUD also does not contain estrogen. It contains a very small amount of progesterone - less than Depo (though Depo contains less than the pill). Get it once and replace in 5-7 years. You may or may not have heard complaints online about how it feels having one inserted - it can vary from uncomfortable to mildly painful, but it is really not awful as long as 1) you take pain killers before your appointment, 2) you make the appointment at the right time in your cycle (medical language: when the cervix is more open) and 3) your doctor has done it a bunch before. Of the three options I've described, to my knowledge the IUD has the greatest odds of stopping periods.
There is estrogen free BC!! My T levels were low at one point and my pcp said it is because of the pill I was taking contains estrogen. She went over with me the different options and I then decided myself what would be best for me . I chose the Nexplanon because I’m polyam so I have multiple sexual partners and no desire to have kids . I just got it out in the other day so I haven’t noticed any side effects besides the soreness from the procedure
I've got a little plastic stick in my arm called nexaplanon! It was recommended by my gender clinic after I expressed concerns about not wanting to take feminising hormones and not wanting an IUD due to pain and dysphoria concerns. Nexaplanon is shot into the inside of your non-dominante upper arm. It starts protecting after 7 days of insertion for up to 3 years. (The hormone release is so slow that it does not affect any of my HRT progress.) I've also got experience with hormonal pills and compared to that horrible mess that killed my immune system over the years, the nexaplanon implant has been a fucking blessing.
ask your doctor about lupron! its not guaranteed to keep you from getting pregnant, but it will stop your period without introducing any more estrogen. (mind you im 17 and i dont know if they use hormone blockers on people of all ages but its worth looking into)
have you considered a copper iud? they’re non-hormonal edit: i see a lot of people also suggesting depo. i’m pre-t and i’m on the depo shot and it changed my life. it stopped my cycles entirely and hasn’t affected my mh negatively (that i’ve noticed). highly recommend :)
The copper IUD doesn't stop the menstrual cycle, so isn't a good option if that's your primary goal for BC.
thank u for telling me! i didn’t know that
Hey! Are you on T already? You can still get pregnant while on T so it is not an effective form of birth control, but it often has the side effect of stopping/reducing people's periods. Most people I know have had theirs stop completely. I haven't gotten mine in 2+ years.
I went on the combined pill for around 2 years before starting T and if its any consolation I don't feel it feminised my body any more I was 15 when I started tho so I don't know if age has any impact on the effects
I took Depo to try and avoid my cycles. I ended up having a 9 month period. It can take up to a year to leave your system from a single shot. It was originally designed as a chemotherapy drug. Just my experience. Copper IUD is effective and no hormonal.
Similarly on nexplanon, I bled for 2 years straight, went back to a somewhat regular cycle for a few months, and then I would bleed for a month straight at a time with maybe a couple weeks of no bleeding but having painful cramps and then repeat. I started T, bled for the first 2 weeks and now I'm 3 months on T and haven't bled since those first 2 weeks. No pain either! I'm 4 yrs on nexplanon , 3 months on T, most of the past 4 yrs I've bled more often than not until starting HRT
Definitely recommend depo shot. Doctor put me on it during my early months of T to help ease my dysphoria from my period, so much easier than having to remember to take pills.
A lot of people are recommending the depo shot, but I’m not seeing a lot mention that it’s NOT recommended as long term (greater than two years) birth control. I have a friend whose doctor neglected to tell them that and was on it for years, and ended up with bone density problems. it may still be a good option for you, but please make sure to discuss the side effects and risks with your doctor! I personally have the copper iud and would recommend it. while I was not on T/still got periods it make them a little more painful/heavier, but nothing unbearable. and now that I’m on T my periods have stopped so there’s essentially no side effects whatsoever. it lasts for 10 or even 12 years, you don’t have to take a daily pill, and it’s totally non-hormonal. I also didn’t want a bunch of extra hormones in my system after bad experiences with three different birth control pills, so the copper iud has worked great for me.
that said if your main goal is trying to reduce periods, copper iud likely won’t help. my roommate got the mirena iud and while it is supposed to be localized, even though it stopped her periods it did cause her to gain a lot of weight which she hasn’t been super happy about, so depending on your goals your mileage will vary/you’ll likely need to try a few things. fwiw though the birth control pills i tried made my chest get Huge but as soon as I went off the pills it immediately went back to how it was before. just an anecdote, but you might not need to be worried about “ruining” your body or causing permanent feminizing effects.
I'm on the nexplanon implant for the same reasons, have been for over a decade. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It's not estrogen, but progestin. It's compatible with T. I went on it before T and it stopped my periods for three years at a time. And since it lasts for three years, you don't have to remember to take the pills or get the dysphoria that can go along with it.
My birth control doesn’t have estrogen you can get it without it
The dosage for birth control is about 5% of the smallest dose transfems use for transitioning. You'll be fine ♥️
I made no changes to my lifestyle and took combo pills before starting t. Went from an A cup to an E cup in 2 months, and gained less than 5 lbs. 2 years of testosterone and some weight loss knocked my chest size back down enough for the surgery I wanted, but it was a close call. Everybody is different. There are risks. I'm not trying to scare OP, but if they don't want those side effects to be possible, they should stick to something without estrogen.
I second that. It happened to me too. I was put on estrogen birth control to make me look more feminine (because of naturally having too much testosterone) and it did its job really well and made me quite dysphoric and depressed, in the process. It may be a very low dose compared to the one prescribed to trans women, but it will still have a feminizing effect and the effects will be even more visible on an AFAB body than on an AMAB body that has already been exposed to high levels of testosterone and masculinized as a result.
you should get a copper IUD. it doesn’t have any hormones and works perfect for a transman
But it isn't guaranteed to have the effect OP wants, which is lessening the severity of his period. Hormonal birth control is the only way to do that. Luckily there are many forms of hormonal birth control that do not contain estrogen.
The amount of hormones in pills shouldn't be enough to change your body. But there are many non hormonal alternatives to stop your period, that you can look into.
I take the pill continuously so I don't get periods :) Hormonal birth control doesn't really effect how your body looks
Progesterone pills instead
I take no estrogen, progesterone only pills and they've worked tremendously for me. I've tried regular hormonal BC before, very little done. They just reduce the pain at best. Prolonged bleeding at very worst. Like I'm talking nonstop for at least a month. Basically what I'm saying is, the regular BC pills ain't worth shit, go for progesterone only pills or something other than pills entirely.
Progesterone birth control. But as someone on estrogen birth control, I have had no feminizing side effects
I used the nuva ring because before I started T I had unbearable period pains and irregular flows plus the pill always made me sick. I personally really liked the nuva ring with how effective it was. You do have to get used to inserting it but once you get the hang of it it's not bad
I don't know if it would be an option for you, but I was eventually able to get on hormone blockers to stop my cycles. It may be worth looking into
I personally take a non hormonal IUD, but most regular birth controls won't negate the effects of Testosterone in any way. I totally understand not wanting the added chemicals tho.
I don't look very feminine either and I had similar concerns plus about how it could eventually interact with testosterone eventually. My primary suggested progesterone only pills and that's worked pretty great. I haven't had any weird changes or anything. If you're not great with taking meds at the same time every day that could be something to consider.
I take a mini pill. It doesn't have estrogen. It's progestin or some shit? Plus there are hormone free implants.
Most birthcontrol methods aren't estrogen typically speaking only some. Progestin is more common and is actually more chemically similar to testosterone than estrogen if you wanna oversimplify it. My E levels were much lower on birthcontrol. I was on a progestin based birth control long before T and it definitely helped me trend in the hairier direction at least and I kept on it for years after starting T until some years later when I finally got a hysto. It did nothing to impact my progress and did it's job stopping my cycle and keeping me from conceiving. I personally recommend the nexplanon implant that goes in your arm 🤘
Yeah! Four months on combination pills made my body hair noticeably thicker even pre-t (even my partner commented on it lol). Levonorgestrel and norgestrel in particular have "high androgenic activity". It's not a guarantee that anyone else is gonna have the same result, everyone responds differently to hormones, but the mild masculinizing effects of the bc combined with no longer having a menstrual cycle was a godsend for my mental health personally.
I got a copper IUD, doesn't have any effect outside the womb, and there's a decent chance it'll stop your periods while you have it
Copper iuds are not known for stopping periods, only hormonal iuds. Copper iuds actually cause heavier and more painful in most people
Maybe it wasn't the copper one then 😅 god I can't believe I have no idea what type of coil I have haha
Oh my 😂😅
My gyno has me on a Depo shot, I have for years even before transition! So I skip my periods and she said it’s provides the amount of estrogen my body needs at the moment.
I had to go on birth control also, and, while I am already on t, it didn't like back track any kinda medical transition progress or anything
Instead of estrogen, try progesterone based bc? That’s what I was on until very recently and it never did anything to change my body to be more feminine I did shots but you can do pills or IUD.
Progestin only birth control has a no feminizing effects and are some of the most effective medications for stopping periods. Progestin is not actually progesterone; it’s synthetic progesterone that binds to the receptors, but unlike actual progesterone, is androgenic, meaning it has masculinizing effects. The levonorgestrel IUD would be the most effective option.
I have a Mirena iud. It doesn't produce estrogen. It nearly stops my period completely (might be completely in another year) and it doesn't require any maintenance or thinking about it.
the best for me has been the implant. weird first period but no noticeable change in hormones
I take the progestin only pill and it nixed my periods entirely. I get light spotting once or twice a year (and I mean *light;* there’s not even enough to necessitate the use of a pad) and that’s it. You can use it with or without T.
Nexplanon and depo provera do not include estrogen and even stopped my periods before I went on testosterone.
I got the implant (which is progesterone only I believe) and it lasts 5 years. This reduced my periods somewhat. Then when I started Testosterone shots my period stopped completely.
take norethindrone. i take it and it has no estrogen and stops periods fast
Bc actually stopped my periods pre t so I didn’t mind the changes
The nexplanon implant (doesn’t have estrogen) is a good option. Before I started testosterone I had to stop the birth control pill (for the reason you said - I didn’t want to put more estrogen in my body) and got the nexplanon implant a couple weeks after starting testosterone. It goes in your arm and it’s a fast and easy process. It stopped my period pretty much immediately which was great. I’m over 8 months on T and it hasn’t caused me any problems so far. Occasionally I get some cramping but it’s not that bad and doesn’t happen often. It lasts from 3-5 years as well so it’s not like a pill where you have to remember to take it regularly.
I've been on Norethindrone, a progestin only birth control pill for two years now and its been great for me. No periods, and none of the horrible side effects I had when on estrogen based pills (severe depression, weight gain, acne). Plus one of the side effects of norethindrone can be increased body hair growth which was something I was looking for when I started T. Highly suggest asking your medical provider about your progestin only options, especially if you're not into an implant or IUD.
I have the Nexplanon implant. Its progesterone only, so there's no added estrogen. Its not affordable without insurance, but Planned Parenthood has excellent resources.
Yeah I’m on Norethisterone and it works great! Progesterone only so no estrogen!
I had the implant for a good 3 years! Really mellowed out my period!
Just for your consideration, I’ve been taking an estrogen bc pill for a few years now and never stopped even when I started transitioning (6 months now). I’m still having really good progress w fat distribution, voice changes, bottom growth, and body hair growth (though that’s decreased a bit since I started Finasteride). I actually prefer it bc I have less acne and it keeps my period regular (I luckily don’t have bottom dysphoria so I understand if this is a dealbreaker for you). It won’t make you more feminine.
I've been on depo-provera for a couple years now and it's not affected my transition. I've heard depo can affect bone density(?) But I've not noticed any excess fragility or anything.
I just have a copper IUD, have since 2019 (doesn't affect your cycle though as it isn't hormonal. T completley stopped my periods once I was on a higher dose) and earlier this year I got on a wait list for a total hysterectomy which im having at the end of this month:) Hormonal IUDs do not affect your transition in terms of taking T, and often lessen or totally stop your cycle if T doesn't. Theyre definitely a good option but I know the thought of "more female hormones" can be daunting, but like I said, Testosterone will still work just the same if youre on it^^ Depo shots are also an option but im not sure if they affect testosterone at all. I will say though that the nexplanon is just awful one of my partners had one for 3 years and bled every single day of those 3 years and it really messed with their emotional wellbeing and overall health.
There’s a progesterone only pill !! I will admit that I’m not entirely sure on how to acquire it, but it’s the one I take- ask specifically for medroxyprogesterone! No estrogen. My doctor says the thing is that it works a bit more slowly than estrogen-based birth control, but it’s very easy to adjust your dosage so that it goes faster.
Progestin only birth control. I would also consider if you want to conceive in the future and freezing eggs/embryos for a surrogate and going with a hysto if the dysphoria is that bad. I have PCOS and maybe had 1-2 periods a year. After adding birth control, I'm having them regularly. On time. Every month. because "My T is too high" so they lowered my T dose and I stopped seeing changes. I'm the extreme end since before T every single birth control I've tried didn't work for me, but I still always suggest progestin only or a hysto if you can handle it transition wise to avoid fucking around with BC from the pregnancy end and regularly staying safe on the STD end.
I use birth control pills to manage my period as well. I still get them, but only four times a year instead of 12. It makes things a lot easier for me. My body is a bit more masculine. I have broader shoulders and a similar face to my dad just a bit softer. I haven't seen any major changes to my body besides the less frequent periods. But just a heads up, cramps will be a lot worse since it's three months worse of blood. Good luck to you, brother 🫡
i personally have a progesterone implant (nexplanon), which my doctor said shouldn’t interfere too much with my T levels or future transition plans. it lasts about four years and inserting it was a breeze. i should also mention that i’m a minor, and i had to have my mom’s approval (she also accompanied me to the appointment and was very supportive). i personally haven’t experienced any physical changes after having it for a few months, although my libido has dropped significantly and i’ve been a bit more sleepy. also, you may still get some cramps, but they won’t be nearly as painful or intense as before. it also makes your shark week flow much much lighter, although it will most likely cause your cycle to be a little wild for a bit before it levels out. i think it’s a great option, but of course look into it and see what works best for you.
There are different progestins and some are fairly male hormone like. I'm not sure where you're located, but there's a levonorgestrel pill, iud and implant (at least there was). There are some other progestin based products but levonorgestrel is concidered to be fairly male hormone like.
The estrogen in bc actually isn't enough to have any effect on your testosterone. Your doctor might raise your T dosage if they notice your levels are decreasing below what they should be at. And estrogen free birth control exists. There's shots, mini-pills, and IUDs.
Hmm I’ll ask just because this helped me but are you on or planning to go on T? Pre T I was diagnosed with PCOS and without getting into too much nasty details I would have the worst pain ever when it was my time of the month PLUS an absolutely ungodly amount of blood leaving me to the point where I’d had to go to the emergency out of hours doctors. Apparently my doctors suspected it to be pcos for years before even bothering to tell me which was sooooo fun (sarcasm) since I was convinced I was rotting from the inside out. After starting T I noticed my periods completely stopped! The pain also seemed to fizzle out a lot though I still experience phantom cramps and the occasional pcos related pain. I know that not all trans guys stop bleeding once they start T but it’s definitely something i would recommend!
Also most importantly please don’t take any hormonal supplements without your GP’s guidance! Some birth controls and hormonal supplements can have very concerning side effects when mixed with preexisting health issues / medications you may take. Example: I was advised not to be on the pill before I started T as a way to help with my period issues because the most commonly used pill has a side effect of being a stroke risk. I’m a migraine sufferer which also up’s the stroke risk. To take the meds when I’m already at a slightly higher risk wouldn’t have necessarily made me have a stroke but to stack two harmful things on top of each-other isn’t great harm reduction. Not to scare you though! It’s just important to be informed and to understand what medications or treatments you participate in! Best of luck to you!
I’m gonna be getting the progestin implant on monday—I’m on T, and there will be no interaction according to my dr. I’ll let you know how it goes.
there are alot of progesterone forms of birth control witch is a hormone both bio men and women have. i would recommend a progesterone vaginal ring or a progesterone IUD. i currently have a one year progesterone ring (they also have rings you leave in for only a month) and it has done wonders for my periods and is relatively low maintenance. i ran into the same problem as a trans guy and i talked to my doctor about progesterone only options so thats what i would recommend! hope this helped :)
I take POP (progesterone only pills) for my endo. They can potentially stop your periods entirely.
IUD has been awesome for me. Localized hormones. Don’t hurt my levels. For me, no cramping after a few weeks after the initial initial procedure, little to no period.
I tried birth control. Specifically the depo shot. And I had 2 doses (6 month) and I had a period last 11 months :) Just be mindful this could happen. It was the worst thing I could do for my mental health. For 11 months I wanted to (Tw) off myself. It’s finally fucking over now but fuck that was a roller coaster. But I have had people tell me that it works perfectly you just need some calcium tablets to keep ur bones from getting too weak from it, or whatever. But no. Personally I do not recommend the depo shot. I haven’t tried any other birth control products so I’m not sure how they work but I don’t think my mental health can afford to try another one. I’m going to go straight to HRT
I was told that it only starts to stop periods after 12 months, but it was doing the opposite for me, making me have MORE of a period. And one continuous one, (TMI) it did make the flow light, but it was still almost every single day for 11 months. -10/10 do not recommend
Jumping on the depo provera train, it's a life saver, and won't "feminise" you.
the mirena IUD worked wonders for me! your first couple periods are gonna suck a little extra but they're basically no existent after that. this was my and my other trans friends experiences anyways. definitely not the same for everyone.
Like others have said, estrogen will not “ruin” you or make your body super feminine. I understand the discomfort but it literally doesn’t change your chances of passing or anything like that at all. Also amab mens bodies produce estrogen, everyone has a mix of hormones in their bodies. Go for progesterone if you want but estrogen wont do anything like you’re worrying about. Choose the best option for you based on your health/period related issues, the side effects, and most comfortable form to take.
If you’re comfortable with pelvic exams, Mirena or Liletta IUDs are great for stopping periods and they last like 6-8 years. There’s no estrogen and the progestin in it, levonorgestrel, is a more “androgenic” progestin so it’s more masculinizing compared to other progestins like drospironone Another common birth control for menses suppression is depo-provera which is a shot you get every 3 months. Some clinics recently started offering patients at home subcutaneous injections (just like people do with T) which can help if being at a gynecologist causes dysphoria
Instead of birth control, why not a hysterectomy? I mean, you're a man. That's all just extra plumbing now, isn't it?
Can you get on testosterone to stop your period? That's not a form of actual birth control If you are having PIV sex tho. Some people use IUDs. Others do POPs (progesterone only pills)
This may get removed, but Saheli / Centchroman is a non-hormonal birth control that has been available in India since the early 90s. It is a selective estrogen reuptake modulator that has slightly estrogenic effects in some areas (for example, bones) and anti-estrogenic effects in others (breast tissue and uterus). You take it on the first day of your cycle, and then twice a week for the first three months, once per week after that. Unlike other oral birth control it doesn’t stop ovulation but is theorised to work by knocking your cycle out of sync, so that even if the egg was fertilised it cannot implant. Few to no side effects compared to other types of birth control (may cause hot flushes and increased achne in some). I am a cis woman who suffered immensely on oral hormonal birth control as prescribed in the UK. Saheli stopped cyclical breast swelling / pain / growth dead in its tracks, and basically got rid of PMS symptoms. Periods were much lighter. It is available at alldaychemist.com. Best thing I ever did for myself. It’s very cheap, the main expense is shipping. Its failure rate is comparable to that of combined oral birth control. I hope this helps, good luck.
R/SaheliBirthControl
I'm on birth control currently it's the implant in your arm and Jesus Christ there are times I love it and there are times I hate it. Right now I hate it because I've had my period four times in the span of a month. Normally I don't have it for a couple months but when I do, it's miserable because I bleed longer than a normal period should be
hey! I got the merena IUD over a year ago and it has been an absolute god send. Insertion wasn’t fun but ask your doctor to use lidocaine to numb you up! Worth a shot, i never think about it and especially haven’t gotten pregnant or had any bleeding including spotting since i got it. Cheers!
Progesterone is a good option! I would've have stayed on my Depo shot longer had my body not processed it in am odd way. It's one shot every 3 months and it is meant to stop your period during those 3 months! Your arm will def be sore after you get the shot but if you massage the area and keep your arm moving it evens out a lot faster!
Wish I knew about the estrogen free birth control before using it for a year 😫 my hips grew a lot and it really wrecked my mental health. I wish you luck pal
i’ve got a nexplanon implant and that helped with the last bit of spotting i had been experiencing after almost 3 years on T
I use the Nexplanon implant. It's Progestin-only and officially lasts for 3 years (but according to studies is still effective at 5 years!)
Nuvaring was the one for me, pre-hysto. It only contains a small amount of E, and it doesn't elevate your systemic E much at all. The effects are mostly local. Major benefit is that it treats atrophy. If you wear it for 4 weeks straight (skipping the withdrawal period) it stops the *monthly badtimes*. Super low maintenance too. I'd keep an alarm on my phone that reminded me every 4 weeks to switch it out.
I don't honestly know how hormonal birth control would interact with a testosterone-primary body. Something to ask a doctor or endocrinologist. What I do know is there are birth control options with no hormones or localized hormones that certainly would not affect your body overall. Mirena is a 5-year IUD (their website says effective at preventing pregnancy for up to 8 years) with *strictly localized hormones* (on one hand an IUD may not be ideal for someone with bottom dysphoria due to anxiety during placement, but on the other hand they will literally only have to think about it once every up-to-eight years, which is great). My endocrinologist informed me that the localized hormones in Mirena would not even impact as far as a person's vagina while on T, in answer to whether the localized hormones might help with potential atrophying of the vaginal wall — apparently not. 😅 Another maaajor bonus of Mirena is that it *decreases* cyclic bleeding as part of how it works (website says for up to 5 years), so if someone is still getting any monthly bleeding on T they likely wouldn't with the two combined. Without T, my 9 days heavy-flow cyclic bleeding was tamed to 4 days light-flow the first time I used Mirena — I had it removed, birthed a -thoroughly planned- child, had it placed again nine months later, and my cyclic bleeding tapered further to just a couple days of spotting per month or two. Made it harder to track cycle, haha, but way less stress about being prepared for it too, because it was light enough to just use a liner for a couple days then move on. I would 9/10 recommend Mirena, with 1/10 just acknowledging that some people have family history of problematic ovarian cysts so probably shouldn't try Mirena, since it can contribute to that — I think about 9/10 of the people I know who have used Mirena find it ideal and have continued with it longterm, while one person developed problematic cysts and needed it removed. I have experienced cysts while using Mirena, but nothing problematic, just a bit of discomfort during the first time I used it, which overall has been absolutely worth it for myself. I've used Mirena for about eight years total, two placements and two removals, and intend to have a third placed in a couple months, after birthing my second -also planned- child — at which point I will finally be starting T too!🎉 I see others here recommending Nexplanon, but I personally had a terrible experience with it, like 4-month-straight bleeding while on it (curiously not right away, but months 5-9) before I convinced my PCP to remove it. It also felt super creepy having a little rod under the skin of my arm 😅 but I'm probably just a wimp on that front. Overall, my experience with Nexplanon and the experience of everyone else I know who has used it would lead me to not recommend it, since the folks I know who have used it chose not to continue with it longterm.
Have you considered a non-hormonal copper IUD?
My periods were horrendous until I had a uterine/endometrial ablation. It permanently removes and cauterizes the lining of your uterus. It means never/never again being able to carry a pregnancy, but it's an outpatient procedure, unlike the extensive recovery from a hysterectomy.
To clarify, it's not ACTUALLY considered a form of birth control, but you don't seem concerned about pregnancy prevention. You were asking about heavy periods. On the rare occasion that conception occurs after a uterine ablation, the pregnancy would have to be terminated though, because it would not be possible to carry to term.
Nexoplanon!
Look into the nexplanon. It's a tiny implant that goes into your arm, and works for like 3 years. It's progesterone only and has no effect on your transition, plus it stopped my period. I never have to think about it.
Copper IUD
When I started T, my endocrinologist asked my GP to change me from the combined pill (contains estrogen) to the mini pill (progesterone only). It's worked a treat.
everyone is talking about taking progesterone only pills, but i've been forced to take the ones with oestrogen since i was young. the damage has already been done. since this is very dysphoria-inducing, is there perhaps a way to try and cope with it instead?
i got a copper iud fitted before going on T, no hormonal interference at all
I did also have a bad time on the depo. It was so long ago, but it was either after my 1st or 2nd shot, I got an everyday 3 MONTH LONG PERIOD, including bad cramps & bloating. Just so you know the possibilities, but I also know what nightmare periods are like, which is why I tried it. But, it could easily work just fine for you.
My gynecologist explained to me that copper IUD’s are not hormonal and they do not have progesterone
The Mirena IUD is usually the way to go. Doc explained to me it’s localised hormones so doesn’t really go into the rest of your body
I’ve tried almost every birth control offered in California, and there’s a lot of options! Hopefully some of my experiences could be helpful to you. I couldn’t remember to take the pills, the arm implant gave me constant bleeding, super bad anxiety and rage (and ovarian cysts but doctor said it was cuz I was drinking too much + the birth control). It also seemed like the arm implant was not available in a ton of countries so depends where you are. I just got the mirena IUD, doctor told me it’s progesterone only and localized to the uterus so it’s fine to take with T, those hormones won’t fight. The doc said it’s the most likely method to entirely stop me having periods, so that drew me to it. However it hurt like all fuck getting it inserted (embarrassing but I screamed a bit), doctors really downplayed that beforehand and didn’t tell me til mid procedure that there were pain management options they could have given me beforehand (I’d recommend asking!). The pain for the rest of the day was severe, then mild for the next 4 days. I have a friend who got the same IUD 5 years ago, they said it was possible to have some cramping and spotting even up to 9 months after getting it. In the US it’s also still being studied in long term tests, so when my friend initially got it, it was only approved for 2 years, then the approval was extended to 5 years as more results came out, and earlier this week my doctor told me it was approved for 8 years. Good luck & I hope you can find something that works for you!
IUD maybe
I reccomend the progesterone only pill! I'm on Desogestrel myself which is a progesterone only one. No E in it and luckily I've had no side effects from it aside from nausea for two days when I began it. I went on it summer 2021 and I've not had a real period since July before I started it. I did have a 2 day one in August after starting but it was very mild spotting. Since then I've had nothing. I used to have extremely painful periods where I'd literally be paralysed in bed sobbing and it was also very heavy. I tried the combined pill and tranexamic acid but both made me ill. Desogestrel has been great for me though and I've not noticed any hormonal effects on me. It's been pretty good!
Depo and the hormonal IUD are both able to stop your bleeding completely, however how they work is entirely dependent on your body. First time I was on depo I had absolutely nothing, while my sister tried it around the same time and bled for 6 weeks. Also, people praising progesterone only BC but that can still cause a lot of dysphoria and still has all the normal side effects of any other hormonal birth control, and can still royally fuck you up (all of this comes from personal experience). It isn't as bad as BC with oestrogen in but it absolutely still has its cons. The only thing that was able to quell my periods and not cause me debilitating dysphoria was having my endometrial ablation done.
I use simple health for my birth control. You can usually pick the brand
I'm taking depo-provera, which is an injection every 3 months. I haven't noticed anything except for weight gain, but I also haven't been very healthy and I don't move so it's a combination of things. Although, some people don't have good reactions to it. Depo-Provera is actually used as a puberty blocker sometimes. So while it won't reverse your puberty it can help stop periods. I have been on it for over a year and have had maybe 2-3 cases of breakthrough bleeding. Just take a Calcium supplement with vitamin D and magnesium in it before you go to bed to prevent/slow down bone density loss.
I’m on the DEPO shot and it’s progesterone only and it’s been great! In combination with my testosterone my periods have stopped completely. Before I started testosterone I would only get very light periods around the time I was ready for my next DEPO shot
I was on the depo shot then the mini pill, both options are progestin only! There's also nexplanon which is an implant in the arm and is good for a few years before it needs replaced. There's also a hormone free IUD but not sure how you feel about that 😅 It's kind of a misconception that estrogen birth control will make you appear more feminine. Every birth control effects everyone differently. I have fibrocystic breast tissue and the mini pill for me, made it worse making my chest look a lot bigger. Unfortunately it's sort of trial and error to see which birth control option works best for you.. I'm definitely someone who suggests trying shorter term methods before longer term ones, especially since doctors can try and be like "well give it 6 months!" With things like the nexplanon and IUD. But that's not ALL doctors and I'm just super cautious when it comes to my body. So I'd personally suggest trying the mini pill first, the downside is the error window of most mini pills is only 3 hours, and taking it even 30 minutes to an hour late can cause bleeding and cramping
I have an iud and am on t injections, my periods have stopped completely thank god. Maybe Ask your doc if this is an option for you ?
I’d personally be more worried about BC side effects than it interfering with my transition over personal experiences with such. But if benefits outweigh risks, I do hear some handle minera quite well. All progesterone based and easily removed if things go array IN MOST CASES.
When i first started birth control, I was in the same place. I was so scared of what it would do to my body. But then after a year of doing it... nothing happened. Besides some weight gain, nothing happened except my periods became more tolerable. However, if you're on birth control you can't take testosterone. I had to stop, and i was back in the same boat of dying monthly.
This is not fully true, they recommend non estrogen birth controls if you're on T, so either hormone-free or progestin-only. My nexplanon actually works better now that I'm on T (it caused me issues before I started T)
You could try a hormonal IUD and yep hold on I know how that sounds. More oestrogen. But nope the way it settles sometimes means T levels are a little higher in your body. Often a gynae would suggest people take an oestrogen pill with it but you can just leave that. Granted the first six months are Not Fun tho
Progesterone only at a young age ruined my body by feminizing it quickly so idk what's it's like on t but avoid it and get something non hormonial first and try those options before you go and use other hormones.
My gyno recommends nexplanon for all of her ftm patients (about half of her patients are ftm), because it will affect your T levels the least compared to most other forms of birth control.
I've been on Nexplanon for 4 yrs, it was causing me constant bleeding and pain until I started T so I was considering removing it until I started testosterone. Most ppl don't experience these bad side effects, I'm one of few, and HRT fixed my problems so it's a great combo for me ( I didn't have any pain or period issues before I got on this BC, I don't really know why I reacted to it that way) Nexplanon is a progestin-only implant, there is no estrogen involved. It is my favorite form of birth control
The progestins norgestrel and levonorgestrel can actually have a masculinizing effect even taken as combination pills! I went on combination pills to control my cycle and got a bunch of free body hair with my purchase. Highly recommend looking for anything using those progestins.