1. Unknown Long-Term Health Consequences
The people who started cross-sex hormones in their teens and twenties are the first large group ever to do so. Because of this, no one can say what bodies will look or feel like after forty years on these drugs. “We have never seen this many people under 25 starting on cross-sex hormones… There is no data. This is a massive experiment.” – Drgypsy source [citation:bad77b88-754e-4dc7-be69-beb2f29cac5f] Until those decades pass, doctors and patients are relying on hope rather than evidence.

2. Serious, Sometimes Sudden, Medical Risks
Within just a few years, users report sharply higher chances of stroke, heart attack, blood-clotting disorders, autoimmune illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, and permanent sexual dysfunction. “The risks spike at a 7-year mark and it’s quite dramatic… FDA put a huge warning on Estrogen for women and doctors stopped prescribing it.” – ConnectPen source [citation:7df3632b-cc34-4f97-8f0c-4d450fb8753b] Testosterone thickens the blood and raises “bad” cholesterol, while estrogen increases clotting factors; both can damage the heart and blood vessels in ways that may not be reversible.

3. Irreversible Physical Changes
Some alterations begin within weeks and cannot be undone: a deeper voice, enlarged clitoris, male-pattern baldness, and shifts in facial and body hair. “T is a strongly differentiating hormone… whose effects are not reversible – mostly on the growth of hair or cartilages… It can be permanent and irreversible as early as in a few weeks.” – darthemofan source [citation:4111333e-9b05-4434-a7c9-772ac9468085] These changes remain even if the hormones are stopped later.

4. Historical Echoes of “Miracle” Drugs
Past treatments once hailed as breakthroughs—thalidomide for pregnancy nausea, high-dose estrogen for menopause, the weight-loss combo fen-phen—were later found to cause grave harm. “Thalidomide was considered a miracle drug for pregnant women; estrogen was considered a miracle drug for menopausal women… There is no way of knowing until decades hence how many & how severe side effects there might be.” – ValiMeyer source [citation:48ecac00-85d5-47a5-9087-35af437c91fc] Cross-sex hormones today may follow the same pattern.

5. Freedom Through Gender Non-Conformity
The distress called “gender dysphoria” often eases when people give themselves permission to dress, speak, and behave in ways that feel right without trying to remodel their bodies. Exploring therapy, supportive friendships, creative outlets, and simple self-acceptance can bring lasting peace without the unknown risks of lifelong medication.

You are not your hormone levels or your body hair pattern; you are a whole person who deserves to feel at home in your own skin. Choosing gender non-conformity—living honestly without labels or medical alteration—can be a powerful, healthy path toward the life you want.