Periods and testosterone: what to expect

Testosterone, prescribed by a gender service or clinic, can reduce breast tissue, stop periods and make hair grow on your face, according to the NHS. For periods, one NHS clinic leaflet says they may slowly lessen and then stop, usually within about 6 months. It varies from person to person.

What people commonly notice

• Periods getting lighter before they stop.
• For some people, bleeding carries on longer. If your periods persist on testosterone, tell your clinic: the leaflet says other medicines can be used to suppress them.
• Dryness or thinning of the genital area, which the leaflet says can start in the first 1 to 6 months.
• Oilier skin and acne.
• If you stop testosterone, periods usually come back, but the time it takes is uncertain.

Many of these settle with time. If they bother you, tell the clinic or your GP: there are often things they can adjust or add.

Using Splash while on testosterone

• Add the “On testosterone” tags in your profile to log spotting, cramps, dryness, acne, sweating and voice changes.
• Splash will not call a long gap “late” when you have this tag on, and it widens its windows.
• Your log gives your clinic a clear picture of what changed and when.