The Fenway Institute of Fenway Health, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and Treatment Action Group ( TAG ) released a policy brief documenting the public health emergency created by a shortage of injectable estrogen, and calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) to be more proactive in resolving the crisis.
The 10-page report, "Resolving the Current Injectable Estrogen Shortage: A Public Health Imperative," includes a section on hormone therapy and transgender health. In part, it states, "Hormone therapy to affirm gender identity is a medically necessary intervention for many transgender individuals."
"Hormone therapy is life-saving for many transgender individuals and the current shortage of injectable estrogen violates transgender individuals' right to comprehensive medical treatment," said Sophia Geffen, one of the authors of the report, in a statement. "The shortage of medicine is a public health crisis, as patients are forced to alter their regimen or may turn to Black market sources of injectable estrogen, which is often diluted with other potentially harmful ingredients."
The reasons for the intermittent availability of injectable estrogen are unclear. Health experts are urging the FDA to take a more active stance. "The FDA needs to be more transparent and should not simply offer vague information regarding drug shortages," said Tim Horn, deputy executive director of HIV and HCV programs at Treatment Action Group, in the statement.
The brief is at fenwayhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/Resolving-the-current-injectable-estrogen-shortage-A-public-health-imperative.pdf .