Anyone else at TrueSelves?

[April Dawne]

I joined there recently because TSRoadmap.com suggested them as a relatively secure, troll-free forum that is specifically TS only. That's not specifically why I joined, mind you, I decided to test the waters and see what it's like there. Some things there are ok but I have noticed that a good amount of the posters seem to be youngish transitioners that are DIY-driven and are constantly trading medical and dosing advice back and forth with what seems to be little to no moderation. This seems potentially hazardous to me, as the right brand/dosage for me could very well kill the next person. They seem to forget that it's not always the dose or type of hormone in the pill that needs to be thought of, but sometimes the OTHER ingredients in the pills can also cause conflict, especially if taken with other meds.

I just find it increasingly alarming that so many of them are going there asking for dosage advice... "should I add this to this, and drop that, or just raise this and reduce that?".... they are playing Russian roulette with medications trying to mix up the right cocktail to get them the results they want right now.

[Sabriel Facrin]

Unfortunately out of so many kinds of fears, repressions, so on, a TS gets desperate...only natural, especially when they're almost loathed by more successful or brave transitioners...A transexual I know seems to be self-moderated, considering how much she clearly doesn't know about going through the process of getting the hormones.
I would say to try to convince them not to...but that'd probably get you outcasted or considered an anti-TS of some sort ;.;

[April Dawne]

That's why I haven't said anything myself. Anyone who tries to warn against certain advice gets ripped apart and told to stop being negative and unhelpful etc. I'm just surprised that the mods aren't stepping into these conversations themselves. Looking to an online forum for medical and dosage advise is the wrong way to go about things.

[Eva Marie]

The moderators at that site may have a change of heart once the first lawsuit gets filed.

And don't say it can't happen - a friend of mine used to run a website that dealt with a different topic than TS issues and she allowed free form conversations to take place there about pretty much anything. She got sued as a result of someone getting injured and the claim was that she "condoned" and "promoted" some of the types of discussions about activities that led up to the person getting injured.

She won the lawsuit after spending a lot of money, and it was an unpleasant experience to say the least.

[Muffins]

I used to post there but too many troll idiots would slam my posts so I left. Wait I've left every T related forum I've been to!? well except one... and I keep coming back to this one. But yeah Trueselves is shocking imo!

[Kay]

I tried it once a couple years ago.  After a simple intoduction post, I was contacted by a mod and they  told me that they didn't think the site would be a good fit for me.  With that sort of welcome, I decided it wasn't worth bothering going back.  I fit their age brackets, but aparently I wasn't the demographic they were looking for.  Whatever.  Not worth my time.

[Cindy]

Sounds dangerous.

And in today's world of litigation I would run away from a site like that.

Let's be totally clear. If you are going to take drugs etc that affect your body do you want the advise of a Dr who has trained in the area, or the advise of someone in the street?

If a person in the street told you that taking cyanide will cure your cancer, would you take it?

Cindy

[kelleystorm]

I like Trueselves.  I also like Susan's!  

[seraph]

Apparently I have an account with them that I opened up years ago.

[April Dawne]

I don't have a problem with the site, I just found it a little alarming that people there are trading med/dosage info, and many have no qualms about admitting they are self-medding. The mods there are definitely present if a post becomes volatile in any way, but there seems to be no policy against the sharing of potentially dangerous drug info between posters.

Kay, I find that odd, but have noticed a tendency of hostility toward older transitioners from younger ones with the general attitude "you're not the boss of me."

[Genevieve Swann]

Cindy, Cyanide followed by a heavy dose of formaldehyde will arrest the growth of cancer cells. Fact.    Maybe someone should research how many people have suffered bad side affects of hormone use without proper care and alert them.

[Julie Marie]

...only natural, especially when they're almost loathed by more successful or brave transitioners...

Has this been your experience?  Your statement is completely contrary to my beliefs and experiences.

[JessicaH]

I know very few (never met one in person) that started HRT under doctor supervision. Self medication is a fact of life for most transitioners and it IS NOT going away. Adults should be able to make decisions for themselves and I favor an approach of "Harm Reduction" which necessitates good information.

The problem is that there are a lot of stupid people out there. With the average IQ being 100, that means half the people are about 30 IQ points from being "challenged". The fact that TS women are shooting Home Depot silicone into their bodies shows what the lack of "Harm Reduction" does. Although I can't fathom why someone would think shooting a substance that is toxic (until cured which can be a long time inside the body) and unsterile.

The idea of purposely withholding good information that lets people make an informed decision, offends my sensibilities. I can certainly understand why a website such as this would be shy about such things due to legal reasons and that is certainly their right and I respect that.

If someone jumps off into self-administering HRT and they get all their information about it on a forum..... well, that's just Darwin's theory in action. My meds come from the local pharmacy now but I am not going to condemn those that are now doing what I was doing before.

[Hikari]

I am not a member of that site, The reasons are many and varied, but the biggest real reason is that I have this one and that is all I need.

Now, I do support harm reduction, but I feel the best way to do this is with informed consent clinics are are free or very cheap. It wouldn't stop home depot silicon or ODing to try to make changes faster, but it does benefit those who may otherwise share needles or the like.

There is a divide in the trans community, and I find it a bit distressing. when I read http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vdh.state.va.us%2Fstd%2FResearch%2520Highlights%2FTG%2520Focus%2520Group%2520Report%2520final%25201.3.pdf&ei=2aIATrnsE-fw0gHMyo2QDg&usg=AFQjCNHu_R6m_uBOT0oA-WeotWHLOhX6nA (PDF) a few years back it left me with a rather grim concept of the problem here. What I did notice though, was a divide between those who took any risk and those who were very risk averse. Now, there are a few free clinics in VA that provide transgender care, and though that is an older report it becomes clear that some people are not going to use the services or cannot (i.e. live to far away). Reading the quotes from that study group though reminded me of trueselves a bit.

Still, the answer probably isn't best served by open posting of hormone dosage. And on an unrelated note, how in the world that study didn't have end (legal) employment discrimination as it's primary suggestion is beyond me, what point is retraining sex workers (one of the suggestions) if they just won't be hired or be fired and then still have no insurance or job?

[JessicaH]

Back to the original intent of thread, I haven't checked out that particular site but have not cared for the other sites as they don't seem as friendly or have trolls and ->-bleeped-<-s. I get what I need right here!

[Muffins]

Harm reduction..... makes me think of firing doctors that are incompetent. I'm sure there are people out there that have gained more knowledge about HRT through the internets. I think I may be one of them.

[Julie Marie]

THInC, Trans Hormones - Informed Consent, has been around for a few years and is now accepted in many progressive areas.  You can probably get the form, fill it out, take it to your doctor almost anywhere and get hormones, as long as doc isn't a phobe.

[JungianZoe]

THInC, Trans Hormones - Informed Consent, has been around for a few years and is now accepted in many progressive areas.  You can probably get the form, fill it out, take it to your doctor almost anywhere and get hormones, as long as doc isn't a phobe.

I'm not sure it's entirely about being a phobe or not, though I'm sure that's the case at times.  Doctors take an oath to do no harm, and I think many well-meaning docs honestly weigh the pros and cons of HRT and come out on the side that frustrates transsexuals looking to start transition.  These docs simply don't want to be responsible for jeopardizing someone's health in the near- or long-term, so their position comes from a place of care and concern, not bigotry and closed-mindedness.  This is where informed consent comes in... some docs are comfortable with providing the treatment someone wants when the risks have been clearly stated and the patient still believes it's in their best interest to continue.

If HRT didn't pose risks, we wouldn't be having this discussion at all, either about docs or about self-medding.  The potential dangers are why we don't discuss HRT doses, so as to minimize the risk of people being hurt by some treatment that works for one person, but might kill another.

[Muffins]

my first endo said he wouldn't prescribe progestins/progesterones because he didn't want to end up in court, he openly admitted that to me so I'd say that's more covering his ass than mine. I then went to a random GP and she was like "You're not on a progestogen?" *writes out script*. She said the exact same things that I had read online about them, all information I provided to my endo who just ignored it.
My endo was beyond retirement age and my GP was in her early 30's.
Needless to say I'm highly sceptical of doctors, yet understand that some want to cover their own asses. Depends how knowledgeable they are in their field perhaps. Could they back themselves up if they got called out on their actions? Obviously my endo couldn't .. all his books and print outs were from the 80's. Go figure.

[karmatic1110]

People don't just self med for the heck of it.  Lab work is incredibly expensive without insurance, and some people (especially younger transitioners who are in school) simply can't afford it.  Also. the risks from HRT are largely over exaggerated when someone takes a responsible dose, and doesn't increase  the risk by smoking (even then, the odds of having a DVT from HRT is around 1 in 13000 if I remember correctly).  Simply because the community repeats a mantra does not make it so.  With proper self education and an understanding that more does not equal better and that "herbal hormones" are worthless, one practically eliminates their risk.  Also, self medding and getting tested are not mutually exclusive.  Some people choose to dose themselves and check with an Endo. Estrogen without these risk factors is largely harmless:

- Age
- Recent surgery
- Immobility for other reasons such as long plane rides, car trips etc.
- Obesity
- Cancer
- Family history of DVT and/or family history of inherited clotting disorders
- Pregnancy
- Smoking
- Infection

Being a doctor may increase the odds that they know something about administering HRT and blood tests, but it certainly doesn't guarantee a thing.

The warning while valid generally amounts to fearmongering.  Someone who is self medding is obviously desperate.  I only resorted to it because without it I would have killed myself, which is far more destructive than taking a risk of complications due to self administration.  Willfully withholding information while telling people how bad and dangerous it is reminds me of abstinence only education.

Now as far as Trueselves is concerned, I find it the most balanced site for younger transitioners whose voices aren't drowned out by louder more authoritative posters.