hormone therapy

noun

: the therapeutic use of hormones: such as

a

: the administration of hormones especially to increase diminished levels in the body

especially : hormone replacement therapy

b

: therapy involving the use of drugs or surgical procedures to suppress the production of or to inhibit the effects of a hormone (such as estrogen or testosterone)

hormone therapy to treat breast or prostate cancer

c

: the administration or use of sex hormones (such as estrogen or testosterone) or other agents (such as antiandrogens) to suppress or induce the development of certain secondary sex characteristics to better align with the gender identity of a transgender or gender nonconforming individual

Many transgender people take lifelong hormone therapy …

—Carina Storrs

Examples of hormone therapy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The idea that transgender athletes hold an automatic advantage ignores the complexity of the issue, including the fact that hormone therapy and NCAA guidelines are designed to ensure a level playing field. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024

Thomas instantly became a flash point in the debate about the biological advantages transgender women have in sports, the degree to which they can be neutralized by gender-affirming hormone therapy, and the inconsistencies in the standards governing trans athletes. —Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2024

Granados is accused of prescribing puberty blockers and/or hormone therapy to 21 trans young people since Texas legislators passed Senate Bill 14 last year, which banned such care for minors in the state. —Samantha Riedel, Them, 31 Oct. 2024

Another study published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics reported high levels of satisfaction and low levels of regret among more than 220 young people who had accessed puberty blockers and hormone therapy as kids and teens. —Brenda Goodman, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

hormone therapy

noun

variants or hormonal therapy

: the therapeutic use of hormones: as

a

: the administration of hormones especially to increase diminished levels in the body

especially : hormone replacement therapy

b

: therapy involving the use of drugs or surgical procedures to suppress the production of or inhibit the effects of a hormone (as estrogen or testosterone)

hormone therapy to treat breast or prostate cancer

c

: the administration or use of sex hormones or other agents (as antiandrogens) to suppress or induce the development of certain secondary sex characteristics to better align with the gender identity of an individual

Many transgender people take lifelong hormone therapy …

—Carina Storrs