A Review of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy for Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults in South Korea

Abstract

Recently, gender-affirming hormone therapy for gender incongruence has become an issue in various countries and organizations with various guidelines. In South Korea, several clinical treatments are also used with many possible options. These treatments include masculinizing (female-to-male [FTM]) or feminizing (male-to-female [MTF]) hormone therapies, with regimens usually driven by standards of hormonal replacement therapy for hypogonadism (i.e., hypogonadal natal men and postmenopausal women). This cross-sex hormone therapy can change patients’ physical appearance to better match their gender identity and expression. Regarding masculinizing therapy, injection and transdermal gel types of testosterone are used according to international guidelines. Progesterone is utilized in the form of oral pills, injections, or intrauterine devices to suppress menstruation and avoid pregnancy. Essentially, feminizing therapy uses androgen blockers along with estrogen. This is because estrogen alone cannot exert sufficient androgen-suppressing effects. In South Korea, the most commonly used androgen blockers are spironolactone and cyproterone acetate. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist is also available. Regarding estrogen, oral pills, injections, and transdermal gels are utilized. This review introduces these gender-affirming hormone therapies in South Korea and discusses the side effects of each regimen.

An Analysis of the Demographics and Clinical Characteristics of Transgender and Intersex Populations in Korea: A Retrospective Study Using HIRA Database

“…Interestingly, despite this increase, a significant number of transgender patients in Korea abstain from transitional therapy. 13 A potential rationale is the limited national healthcare service coverage for transitional treatments, compelling many to opt for out-of-pocket medical services. This is evident in our findings where a mere 12.1% accessed hormone therapy covered by health insurance.…”

Sleep pattern in transgender men on short-term cross-sex hormone therapy with testosterone

“…Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), carried out under medical supervision, is one of the means used by the transgender population to promote masculinization or feminization of the body, in order to adapt it to the gender identity. Transgender men (also called female-to-male individuals -FTM) are those who are born in the female biological sex, but who identify with the male gender, for whom testosterone therapy is indicated (1,2,3).…”