Trans 101: How Transgender Hormone Therapy Changes Body and Brain

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Taboo Science

Ashley Hamer Pritchard

64 episodes

1 week ago

Taboo Science is a podcast that answers the questions you're not allowed to ask. It's hosted by Ashley Hame Pritchard, a science writer and podcaster. Every episode dives into a different societal taboo to understand the science that makes it tick, the reasons we don't talk about it, and the impact that has on society at large. Why don't we eat people? Why are my swear words different than my parents'? And what makes porn, porn? It's science class if science class had one of those anonymous question boxes. It's Taboo Science.

All content for Taboo Science is the property of Ashley Hamer Pritchard and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Trans 101: How Transgender Hormone Therapy Changes Body and Brain

Taboo Science

35 minutes

1 month ago

Trans 101: How Transgender Hormone Therapy Changes Body and Brain

(00:00:00) Trans 101: How Transgender Hormone Therapy Changes Body and Brain
(00:03:26) Why you can't change the mind
(00:05:17) Estrogen and what it takes to start it
(00:08:58) Testosterone and what it takes to start it
(00:11:58) How hormones work
(00:15:19) Psychological changes
(00:19:48) Physical changes on estrogen
(00:21:31) Physical changes on testosterone
(00:22:53) Surgical options for trans women
(00:26:28) Surgical options for trans men
(00:32:01) Conclusion
(00:33:17) Outro

For decades, doctors tried to psychoanalyze trans people out of being trans. Spoiler: it didn't work. This episode dives into the medical reality of gender transition—from how hormones actually work at the cellular level to the emotional rollercoaster of a second puberty. You'll learn what estrogen and testosterone really do to the body, what bottom growth actually means, and how modern surgery can create everything from boobs to fully functional penises with hydraulic erections. We cover the psychological shifts, the physical changes, the hilarious terminology trans people have coined, and why medical transition isn't about "fixing" anyone—it's about letting people finally be themselves.

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