FTM Frequently Asked Questions (READ FIRST)

[kesenaie]

Frequently Asked Questions
1. General questions
2. Legal issues
3. Hormones and surgery
4. Appearance and passing
5. Helpful links

1. General questions
What do all these words mean?
Androgynous = someone who feels as both genders, or in between.
FTM = Female to Male
MTF = Male to Female
Gender identity = the gender you feel like
LGBT = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender.
Passing = others see you as the gender you want!
Post-op = someone who's finished with gender reassignment surgery (GRS / SRS)
Pre-op = someone who hasn't gotten surgery (yet)
SRS = sex reassignment surgery
STP = stand-to-pee, a prosthetic you can use to pee through while standing.
T = short for Testosterone.

I would like to be a boy, but I like girls too, am I a lesbian?
You can be a lesbian but still be transgender at the same time. Sexuality is not the same as gender identity.

How can I find FTM or LGBT support here?
Look for LGBT community centers in your area.  A google on "LGBT group <where you live>" can help you find some.
Colleges and universities may have special LGBT clubs/groups too. You can try looking for "<your college/university> lgbt".

2. Legal issues
How do I get my name and gender changed?
This is different in every country, and even different states in the US!
TS Roadmap provides you with a step-by-step guide (USA).
In some countries, you simply have to pay to get a name change (usually after it's been verified by a judge/lawyer).
If your country has a medical programme for transitioning, a name+gender change may be included.

3. Hormones and surgery
How do I start T?
This is different in every country. USA: You need to get (at least) one letter from a therapist who specializes in gender issues. 
You can then either get a referral from a doctor to see an endocrinologist (hormone people), or the doctor can decide to give you testosterone.
Netherlands: Participate in the programme (traject), meetings with the gender teams help them decide if you're ready to take testosterone.
These are just examples. You may not need a letter, or a therapist! The best way to find out is to contact the doctor.

Buying Testosterone online is dangerous and illegal.

What kinds of testosterone are there?
You can get injections, gel or pills, depending on your preference and where you live.
Injections: Sustanon, Nebido. Gel: Androgel, Testim. Pills: Andriol.

What does Testosterone do?
Positive: lowers your voice, more hair, fat on your body is redivided and make you look more masculine, stronger muscles, larger clitoris, higher libido, more stable emotions
Possible positive effects (a chance of happening, not always): your shoe size may increase with 1 to 1.5 sizes

Negative: exhaustion (in the beginning), hunger (in the beginning), acne, headaches, cholesterol changes, higher blood pressure, higher risk of heart diseases (same as in bio males), liver problems
Possible negative effects: itching clitoris and area around it, changes in weight
Contact your doctor or endocrinologist if you're experiencing problems too long.

The changes are different for everyone. Look at males in your family to see what you could expect. It takes at least a year, to four years (like puberty), to get all the changes.

What surgeries are there?
Top surgery (mastectomy) - reforming your chest into a male chest.
There is bilateral mastectomy (double incision), which results in two horizontal scars after removing breast tissue. A peri-areolar (aka Keyhole), breast tissue is removed through an incision in the areola.

Hysterectomy - removal of the uterus. Hysterectomy BSO is removing the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Metoidioplasty - the clitoris enlarges when you use testosterone. With a metoidioplasty, the surgeon releases the clitoris and moves it to make it resemble a penis. You usually retain sensation.

Phalloplasty - there are different ways to perform this surgery. Surgeon takes skin from somewhere else on your body. The urethra (pee tube) is extended and a penis is made from your skin. Other surgeries can be done simultaneously (ex. hysterectomy).

4. Appearance and passing
What is binding and how do I do it?
You purchase a binder, which is basically a compression vest that flattens your chest. It'll resemble a man's chest. A list of online stores that sell binders can be found here.

What is packing and how do I do it?
Packing is stuffing your underwear. Some do it with socks, others do it with packers. Packers are usually made of silicone, and are intended to look like a real penis and stuff your underwear. Packers move around so you can try underwear specially made for FTMs which have a sort of 'pouch'.

Is it illegal to own a packer under 18?
No, but companies are not allowed to sell anything sex-related to minors.

5. Helpful links
Susans Wiki - wiki full of information
ftmtransition.com/transition/faq/faqtranst.html - FAQ completely about Testosterone
ftmguide.org/ - Hudson's FTM Guide - handy guide for everything
tranarchism.com/trans-basics/ - Transgender basics

[kesenaie]

Far from complete, but I really need to celebrate New Year's Eve and watch fireworks now.

[Nygeel]

This is a trans 101 that I find answers a lot of questions and addresses terminology.

[JohnAlex]

I'll share a few links that were helpful to me.


ftmguide.org - Hudson's  FTM Resource Guide.  Covers every topic I can think of.

susans.org/Female_to_Male/  -  A few links were useful to me.  worth checking out.

[Anon]

This is a really good idea, especially with that recent thread talking about the massive rehashing of topics happening. We should get this stickied.

[Kreuzfidel]

Good info, but the "how do I get T" bit isn't wholly accurate as the process differs from country to country, doctor to doctor and clinic to clinic.  Therapists aren't always necessary.

[wesxx]

I'd say non-binary instead of androgynous. A lot of the non-binary trans folk I know are quite far from being androgynous, lol.
Just my 2c.

[Devlyn]

If it's a resource, I love it. If the READ FIRST means (because we don't want to answer your newbie questions) then I hate it. Hugs, Devlyn

[Arch]

Why not just refer people to the Wiki and the Reference Library?

[Nygeel]

Why not just refer people to the Wiki and the Reference Library?

Both are kind of off (IMO).

[JohnAlex]

Good info, but the "how do I get T" bit isn't wholly accurate as the process differs from country to country, doctor to doctor and clinic to clinic.  Therapists aren't always necessary.

Well I think that's good to point out.  OP did it was far from complete.  So we can help complete it.  I think we can all add to this thread and help contribute some more info or resources for people wondering about T to read.

Why not just refer people to the Wiki and the Reference Library?

Good idea.  you should link to those, because I didn't know about them.  And think most people probably don't think to look for them either.  which is why we get all these repetitive threads.

[Devlyn]

But no one is being forced to read or answer "repetitive" questions. There is nothing repetitive about a new member summoning up the courage to register here. That repetitive question may very well be the first step on what we all know is a difficult trip. I hit the introductions and mention the wiki all the time, and also, the members who do visit the introductions always tell new members "If you have questions, ask." Hugs, Devlyn

[kesenaie]

This board only has people coming in to ask questions to which they can find the answers on google within one minute. Then once answered, they never return.
And seriously, this is a life changing thing. If you're not prepared to spend 5 minutes googling (what does T do? Where are LBGT support groups here?), you should really ask yourself if you want to continue with this change. The same, repetitive questions push away everything else. This is the same for every other forum: put some effort into looking for it yourself, or gtfo.

[Devlyn]

I completely disagree. Sending people to google or yahoo answers is not what Susans is all about. Hugs, Devlyn

[kesenaie]

People should be grateful someone is making this because people repeatedly show they're too lazy to put any effort into something.
Having an MTF drop in on a forum to leave some negative comments isn't very helpful either. The FTM boards are overflowing with questions which can be answered within one minute of googling and there's hardly any information or experiences from social things.

[Devlyn]

Oh, well now that you've said that, this crossdresser is going to move into the FTM section. Hugs, Devlyn

[HelenW]

There are links to the Wiki and reference library at the top of every page in the forums.  Note: some of the ref lib articles are out of date.

In addition, I'll ask that this thread go back to discussing the issue raised by the OP and to not let it descend into an argument about who belongs where.  Please remember that staff are the only people who are authorized to police these forums.  Let's not forget that this is a subsection of the "Community Conversation" forum.  Everyone is welcome to contribute what they feel is important.  If anyone doesn't like their contribution, feel free to ignore it or, if it violates the TOS, report it to the staff.

If there are problems in the Wiki, please let me know about it so it can be fixed.  Making things better here is a LOT easier if we get good feedback from the users of our resources.

[HelenW]

One more thing . . .

Our links page should contain the links to websites that are valuable and interesting to the FtM community.  If these links are missing or broken, then feel free to send a note to the links staff or you are invited to join the staff to work toward making the links section better.  Thank you.

[Devlyn]

I think most people do plenty of internet searching before they come here. I mean, what's lazy about setting up an account here to ask a question? The lazy person WOULD just google it. Besides, isn't 24 hour a day live transgender help technicians our specialty? Hugs, Devlyn

[HelenW]

I think that questioning a person who has "been there/done that" seems to hold more weight, seems to be more valid, in some people's view, than a dry article in a Wiki.  And we do try to be as supportive as possible here which means that asking questions is (hopefully) safer here than in other places on the web.

Part of being supportive is being patient with new people and answering their questions, even if they have been answered a couple dozen times already.  A link to a good answer is an adequate reply, don't forget.