Hormones protect bone density regardless of which hormone
Dr Helen Webberley on LBC: trans healthcare, with Tom Swarbrick, LBC
Trans men and non-binary people assigned female at birth who take testosterone are putting their bones at risk. Hormones feel like a medical gamble, and the fear is that stepping away from oestrogen means stepping towards osteoporosis.
What bones actually need is hormones, not any particular one. The reason cisgender women lose bone density after the menopause is that oestrogen disappears when the ovaries stop producing it. People with testicles don't face the same risk because their testosterone keeps going. So the culprit was never oestrogen specifically: it was the absence of hormones altogether. A trans man on testosterone has exactly what his bones need. As long as that testosterone is there, his bones will be strong. That is not a hopeful guess; it is the same biology that protects men from osteoporosis throughout their lives.
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