There are several ways to suppress or block the body’s natural hormone production, and this can be done either medically or surgically.
Surgical Blockers (Permanent)
If you’ve had gender reassignment surgery involving the removal of your ovaries or testicles, your body can no longer produce significant levels of oestrogen or testosterone (respectively). In these cases, blocker medication is not needed because surgery has already provided the most definitive form of hormone suppression.
Medical Blockers (Reversible)
Before (or instead of) surgery, hormone suppression is typically achieved using medications, such as:
- GnRHa medications (e.g., leuprorelin, triptorelin) – These are highly effective at halting hormone production from the gonads.
- Spironolactone, finasteride, cyproterone acetate – These reduce or block the effects of testosterone.
- Raloxifene or similar agents – These can block the effects of oestrogen.
These are commonly referred to as “blockers,” and they may be recommended to help reduce unwanted secondary sex characteristics or prepare the body for gender-affirming hormone therapy.
Why the confusion in your Treatment Recommendation?
When we generate your Treatment Recommendation, we do not ask whether or not you’ve had gender reassignment surgery so our system defaults to recommending your hormone suppression, just to ensure uninterrupted care.
If you’ve had surgery that removes the need for a blocker, you can rest assured that you are already on the most effective “blocker” of all – surgical removal of the gonads. In that case, you can simply take this as confirmation that your surgical blocker has worked!