Advocacy for Gender Affirming Care: Learning from the Injectable Estrogen Shortage

Abstract

Hormone therapy is medically necessary for many transgender individuals. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and pharmaceutical companies' failure to guarantee a supply of injectable estrogen in 2016 and 2017 for transgender individuals is a violation of their right to comprehensive medical treatment, free of discrimination. A series of advocacy actions eventually led to all formulations of injectable estrogen being restored to market; however, long-Term solutions to supply interruptions of injectable estrogen are needed. Long-Term solutions should address the lack of federally funded research and, consequently, evidence-based practice on hormone therapy for gender affirmation.