The ‘Ghost Cycle’

Firstly, NO – I will not ever claim to have a ‘period’, because that word in my mind is synonymous with having a uterus and bleeding. So out of respect, that word is not in my vocabulary. I can’t begin to imagine that experience.

However, transgender women do often experience a monthly cycle, due to natural shifts in hormone levels. I call it a ‘ghost cycle’.

As an analogy, imagine the human body like a computer system, with the brain being the operating system & the body being the hardware. The hormones are basically the programming which tell the body what to do.

In an average body, you have levels of Estrogen & Testosterone which along with other hormones, make up a male or female ‘program’. All bodies are essentially the same, with the hormones creating patterns for the body to follow.

Often in a transgender person, their brain is mismatched, or out of line with the rest of the body, and transitioning alleviates the distress this can cause. I often imagine this like a computer ‘glitching’, because you’re trying to play Xbox games on your PlayStation! (Other consoles are available!)

When a trans person goes through transition, they are ‘updating their software’ – in a manner of speaking – by adding or removing estrogen and testosterone to adjust the levels to act as male or female.

This starts an incredible process – it creates a kind of female puberty, prompting breast growth, rearranging fat distribution, reducing muscle mass and yes, it creates a monthly ‘cycle’ of sorts. The body programming basically picks up on what is happening and joins in, creating a natural ebb and flow of hormones, working in conjunction with the HRT treatment, and that often includes trying to make a ‘period’ happen.

• Note: Many women who have had a hysterectomy will still experience period-like symptoms too, especially the emotional side.

Symptoms of this ‘ghost cycle’ can include mood swings, irritability, emotional issues, stomach discomfort, irregular bowel movements, appetite change, fluid retention/bloating, breast tenderness etc. ‘Cramps’ have been reported, but this could also be due to stomach issues than anything else – no uterus remember.

The body is basically ‘going through the motions’ of menstruation, without the physical hardware to do so, prompted by the hormones – the ‘software’ or ‘programming’.

When a trans woman says ‘my time of the month’, she’s not faking it, and not being disrespectful of the experience of a physical period, she is actually experiencing this ‘Ghost Cycle’, and the symptoms are very real. (Just ask my partner what I’m like each month!)

PS. Very little research has been done on this unfortunately, and a lot of the things I’ve mentioned are from anecdotal reports only, but I’m hoping to publish a study of my own soon, if I can gather enough data.

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