The Spanish Ministry of Health has taken a further step in advancing the rights of trans groups by reporting that a new hormonal treatment based on testosterone undecanoate is available and covered by the National Health System. This decision, according to their assessment, could have a very positive impact on the quality of life of this group.
It has been Carolina Darias, Minister of Health of Spain, who has broken the news after the Interministerial Commission on Drug Prices (CIPM) has included this new hormonal treatment that has, among other recipients, trans people. The decision is effective from November 1, however, the laboratories indicate that the supply will be normalized in January 2022.
The new hormonal treatment has testosterone undecanoate as its active ingredient, which will make trans people need sex more than they do now, going from weekly injections or every 2-4 weeks, to doses every 10-14 weeks. Another of the great advantages of this new drug is that it is not necessary to do so much medical control, since it is capable of maintaining a stable concentration of testosterone, avoiding ups and downs.
Improvements also in the price of estradiol patches
Another novelty that has been announced is about transdermal estradiol patches, a female sex hormone that, when applied to the skin, avoids oral administration, improving comfort and tolerance by avoiding first-pass liver metabolism. These patches were already included in pharmaceutical benefits, but shortages are constant.
The new drug and estradiol patches go into the reduced contribution category, so people will only pay up to 10% of their price or up to 4.24 euros
For this reason, the Ministry has negotiated with the pharmaceutical distributor and they have achieved the latter’s commitment that in the month of January there will be sufficient quantities of these patches in pharmacies. In addition, both medicines have been considered in the reduced contribution category, which means that people will only pay up to 10% of their retail price or up to the limit of 4.24 euros.
Carolina Darias herself declared “we have listened to LGTBI organizations and we have given a solution to an existing problem, to guarantee equity. The Government of Spain continues to advance in the rights of trans people”.
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