Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy
We are proud to offer gender-affirming hormone therapy and health services to transgender and non-binary community.
Health services can include PrEP and PEP, STD testing and treatment, birth control, abortion, cancer screenings, and referrals for laser hair removal, legal support, or any social services needed.
Hormone Therapy Self-Injection
Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest is committed to making sure you have the support and resources you need if you are considering gender-affirming hormone therapy.
There are several different medications administered through self-injection. Should you opt for hormone treatment, your clinician will speak with you in depth in order to help select the right medication for you.
Types of Self-Injection
There are two types of self-injections: intramuscular (IM) injections, and subcutaneous (SubQ) injections.
An intramuscular injection is a way of injecting medication deep into muscle tissue, allowing it to be quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Intramuscular shots are given at a 90° angle, with the needle going straight through the skin into the muscle.
A subcutaneous injection is a way of injecting medication into the subcutaneous tissue that is directly under the skin. Medication given this way absorbs into the bloodstream more slowly than an intramuscular injection. Subcutaneous injections can be given at a 45° or 90° angle.
Injection Guide
The hormone therapy self-injection guide is intended to provide in-depth instructions on how to self-inject your medication. You can download a copy below.
Self-Injection Videos
Many people prefer to learn visually. Below are links to instructional videos to supplement the written hormone self-injection guide. There is one video for IM injections and one video for SubQ injections, in both English and Spanish.
We would like to thank Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas for their amazing work on these videos! They are true allies.
How to perform an intramuscular (IM) self-injection
How to perform an intramuscular (IM) self-injection
Intramuscular (IM) self-injection
Cómo realizar una inyección intramuscular (IM)
Cómo realizar una inyección intramuscular (IM)
Inyección intramuscular (IM)
How to perform a subcutaneous (SubQ) self-injection
How to perform a subcutaneous (SubQ) self-injection
Subcutaneous (SubQ) self-injection
Cómo realizar una inyección subcutánea (SubQ)
Cómo realizar una inyección subcutánea (SubQ)
Inyección subcutánea (SubQ)
Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest is proud to be your health care provider! In addition to hormone therapy services, we offer well-checks, STD testing and treatment, HIV testing, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), clinical breast exams, cervical cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, abortion care, and other health care services for our transgender patients in San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial counties. We’re here for you.
