Why would a male person be taking estrogen regularly?

Three things come to mind for me

1.) They want to change genders

2.) They have had prostate cancer

3.) They are using it as a steroid of some kind (cetain types of estrogen and used in the right way can be a steroid)

To make him more feminine. Estrogen is the hormone that makes women grow breasts and have periods, and not grow facial hair.

I highly doubt GERD has anything to do with it…

See, I just don’t think that gender altering has anything to do with it. In no way did he indicate to me that he was on the path to changing genders. Also, he’s 15. Prostate cancer seems unlikely to me…

Strange.

Just because he didn’t indicate it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want it. There may be a good reason why he’s not telling you? Perhaps he values your friendship and is afraid of how you will react if he tells you?

technically it could decrease your acne, but if this is a minor taking it legally he might be taking it to balance his hormones? I don’t know why else you would take it. There are too many harmful things that come from taking it (probably even more harmful at a young age).

Either that or he’s undergoing a very early (and maybe illegal) process of changing his gender.

Any chance he could have too much testosterone and be taking it to counteract the testosterone? I don’t even know if this is possible, I’m just throwing it out there.

Do his parents/guardians know he’s taking it? 15 is VERY young to be taking any kind of hormone.

@chyna

That’s just it; he told my cousin he had a lack of testosterone. See, my cousin told me he was gay and had questions for me (because she told him that I was gay and that I could answer his questions). And I did, but he started mentioning things about having low testosterone levels and then he reveals to her that he takes estrogen daily (the topic of medications came up, he mentioned estrogen and a couple medications for GERD) and she told me about it and asked why he would be taking it and I said I didn’t know. Hence this question.

Probably should’ve included that bit in the question…

My guesses are:

A) he wants to become more feminine, possibly change genders which I’ve seen with several people back at my old high school.

B) In certain doses, taking estrogen will increase your testosterone levels as your body tries to balance your hormones

C) Something that someone else said above.

Ask your pharmacist.

Is it possible that your cousin misunderstood what he said, as in “I’m taking something for my estrogen levels” was construed to mean that he was taking estrogen?

I knew a lot of young guys who ate up birth controls pills in the belief it would improve their skin. A few of them took estrogen not to get feminine characteristics but because they were freaking out about developing so stockily, thought they could thwart genetics for stumpy legs, barrel chests, etc.

Since you seem to be someone he looks to for advice, you probably need to talk to him again and find out what is really going on with him. As some said above, he may really be confused as to what he is taking or is taking something he shouldn’t with the idea it will change him to be what he is wanting to be.

In addition to the things the others have mentioned, there is a condition called Aromatase deficiency which results in poor growth and low bone mass. It can be treated by estrogen therapy.

I’m on testosterone suppressants to counteract the catylitic effect testosterone has on prostate cancer. They are a type of estrogen.

I prefer to think that I was just too much male. : D

Perhaps, he’s intersex.