Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Don't wanna offend anyone.
My vote for my father-he couldn't pass his Y onto me.
Grave mistake. I have to live with it forever.

You can't really assign blame to anyone. It happened and you have to deal with it. Assigning blame can just leave you bitter and that's not a good place to be.

I also think that blaming someone is just unhealthy - not to mention unfair.  Excluding all of the possible biological factors that could be to "blame" for being born into the wrong body, I think it's rather ignorant to blame your father for not "passing his Y to you", as if he had a choice - seriously? 

Blaming "God" makes a lot more sense if one was to blame anyone, not that I believe in God - but even then, you still have to live with it - what good does blame even do?  Just unhealthy.

Nobody is responsible. Because nobody did this to me deliberately. Sometimes, stuff just happens.

I strongly suspect that I may have been born trans* because of the high-dose contraceptive pills my mother used to take back in the 1960s & 1970s. With all that extra-strong oestrogen in her system, it makes sense that some of it might have converted to testosterone and it could have affected my brain.

But do I blame her for it? Absolutely not. She had no way of knowing what might happen, and the contraceptive pill was still very new in those days, so nobody could've known.

I didn't vote because I think it is a biological malfunction.

When someone asked me if I believe in God, I said "If there is a God, he has a LOT of explaining to do when I get to the other side!!!"  :o

No one. I do blame my neighbor for keeping me up all night with his coughing though...

Seriously. I can't blame anyone. Blame and regret are two things I try to keep to a minimum, otherwise they become toxic. And really, life is too short and too amazing for that.

No one, it just happens. Not with the gender but also there is other things me/you/others have to put up with. No one perfect.

I think my body is the right body for me.

no one is to blame, I think it might be a biological thing, but no one is to blame, can't blame the fathers for giving the wrong chromosome, not their fault, it is what it is, you know

I'd not go as far as 'blame' other circumstances. Either I just pulled a short straw in the genetic lottery and it's all a coincidence, or maybe... do things like reincarnation exist and have we actually chosen it ourselves before we were born, to learn and grow, or maybe help others grow.
I don't know, but I prefer to ASSUME the latter for the time being. Why? Because it keeps me from falling for self pity and/or depression. Just to assume I am trans for a REASON, and not just as a punishment or bad luck, but that it means I have to learn something in this life, gives me a lot of peace.

It's really no one's fault. I consider it to be nature's mishap. Fortunately we're provided with the means to correct that said mishap.

I think no-one. I know there's some evidence to support the idea that it's biological, but I don't believe that's necessarily the case all of the time. I think it can be a number of factors, both genetic and environmental. But maybe it's also just random, one of those things, it's just how we've developed, with no real reason. I don't know, but I don't blame anyone. In fact, I'm making it a point to tell my parents, once I tell them, that it's not their fault and it's nothing they've done or haven't done. Because I've seen a lot of parents of trans people ask if it was something they did. And I think it must suck to realise your child is unhappy with who they were their whole life, and to think it might've been something you did wrong.

No one, but I believe I am normal. It isn't as common but it's still normal. I think blaming a father for not passing on a Y chromosome, implies that he had some kind of choice or say in the matter. It is not going to lead to anything good ever. It won't lead to your father accepting this, if he ever does nor will it lead to you forgiving or going on without his approval.

--Jay

Like you, I blame my father for giving me the x chromosome (along with some horrible genes).  I actually told him when I was young that I hated him for making me a girl. 

I also blame my my mother too.


I blame both of them for having sex and bringing me into this earth.   I blame my mom for not aborting me.  I'd much rather be a cis-man than what I am not, but if I had my way, I would have never been born.  I wish I would have died in the womb.

Is it healthy to blame them?  Probably not.

Is it immature?  Perhaps

Will I continue to do so?  Yup

That's just the type of person I am.  :)

Why isn't 'your mother' on the list of options? ... i mean, what dad did he couldn't have done on his own  ::)

lol

no but seriously, no one is to blame. Fact of science. It happens. Things sometimes go wrong during manufacturing. You can either discard it, or try to fix the end product :) Lets try not to discard it though, that would be such a waste!

I don't blame anyone.  Maybe it's because of one of them, maybe it's because my mother was taking "The Pill" when I was conceived, maybe it was the stress they were under at that time, I have no idea.  I don't really care.  There's nothing they intentionally did, and knowing doesn't make it any better.  I'd only care if that knowledge could be used to prevent other people having to deal with this.

I believe God is responsible. But I don't mean that in a bad way. I think God did it on purpose and I don't feel angry at that because it means it'll make me a better person.
I definitely don't BLAME anyone. I think God has a reason for it, and I always wonder, if I had been born male, maybe God would have made me MTF. It's teaching me to be a more confident person, so maybe that was the reason, I shall never know.

I don't blame anyone. It's not like our parents got together and said "Let's f-k up this kid for life!" How is anyone to know if their kid is going to be trans? Autistic? A psychopath? It's nature. It happens.

as Nicholas Cage said in the movie Knowing " sh--  happens".

A biological cause is the most likely reason for transsexualism.

I believe I was born trans because I had an overdose of testosterone in the womb that affected my brain, but did not affect my body. That's most certainly my mother's fault, although no one has control over what happens in their body.

Added mother too.
I don't believe in God and I don't think I am responsible for this.
I don't remember my parents consulting me before making me, but they did had a choice to stop. Now I'm afraid of both life and death, it would have been better if I didn't exist at all.
And if I say no one then it makes me think that I am weird.

I wasn't born in the wrong body. I was born in a trans* body.

You left out "Doctors and the pharmaceutical companies" in the list of options!

I'm trying to make trans folk aware of the link between medical treatment during pregnancy with synthetic hormones, and gender dysphoria in the exposed baby later in life.

It's a not widely known fact, but whether you develop as male or female isn't directly determined by your genes, it depends on whether there's testosterone present or not during your prenatal development. For decades, doctors have been administering high doses of synthetic female hormones (estrogens and progestins) to pregnant women, in an attempt to prevent miscarriages and premature births. The most notorious of these is the artificial estrogen DES, but there are others (ethinyl estradiol, and a number of different progestins). One property these synthetic female hormone derivatives all have is that they're highly effective at shutting down testosterone production in adult men (their main uses in adult men are for chemical castration of sex offenders and prostate cancer patients, and as part of MTF transgender HRT). Literally millions of pregnant women have been given these drugs in doses well beyond that required to shut down testosterone production in adult men, with most of the exposure occurring after genital development has completed but during the time most sexually dimorphic brain development seems to take place.

For the last 3 years I've been looking at the effects of DES on the "DES sons", and based on what I've seen there, hormone treatment to prevent miscarriage must be a major cause of MTF transsexuality, if not the main cause! Rates of MTF transsexuality appear to be hundreds of times higher among DES sons as among the male population as a whole, along with other problems such as intersex-related genital abnormalities, impaired fertility and hypogonadism. There's more about DES sons and transsexuality here:

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,84224.0.html

Although I've mainly been looking at these drugs as a cause of MTF transsexuality (being MAAB myself, and it being easy to see how they could cause female brain development by blocking testosterone production), I've been told that there are quite high rates of FTM transsexuality among DES daughters, and several daughters have told me in person that they feel quite gender-blended (although not to the point where they want to transition).

If you look at this conversation:

http://www.lauras-playground.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20727&hl=

one of the participants, "JJ", is FTM, and DES-exposed.

Although I haven't pursued the FTM side of things, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if these substances can cause male brain development in a female fetus (more likely by making endogenous hormone production go haywire rather than as a direct effect of the drug itself). I think the evidence that DES caused high rates of MTF transsexuality is overwhelming, and it's just because nobody wants to admit to it that it's remained a secret for so long. Is there anyone here who'd be interested at looking at whether there's also a link with FTM?

Quote from: HughE on March 28, 2014, 01:24:59 AM
You left out "Doctors and the pharmaceutical companies" in the list of options! .....
Is there anyone here who'd be interested at looking at whether there's also a link with FTM?

I don't know how to put this in words so sorry if this offends but what you are talking about being trans and what I am is different.
I am saying about why I was born in the wrong body rather than why I think this body is wrong. That's the reason why I wrote "wrong body" and not "trans" because I wanted to be born not just as a cis person but as a cis male not female. It is better to be trans male for me than a cis female.

Quote from: HughE on March 28, 2014, 01:24:59 AM
I've been told that there are quite high rates of FTM transsexuality among DES daughters, and several daughters have told me in person that they feel quite gender-blended (although not to the point where they want to transition).

Interesting!

My mother had a miscarriage a few months before I was conceived. I have no way of knowing whether she was prescribed DES... but from what I can see, it was in use here in the UK right up until the year I was born. So there's a good chance that she was prescribed it following her miscarriage to ensure she didn't lose her next pregnancy.

Sadly, I can't ask her, because she's no longer with us... but it does make me wonder. Thank you for giving me a new avenue to explore.

That is really interesting, my mom had a miscarriage before having me also, not sure if she was prescribed this drug, but might have since she had a miscarriage before. I also think something went wrong in the womb, I have a half brother from my old man and the miscarriage should of been a boy....sooo I think something went haywire in there lol

I don't really blame anyone. As someone stated before, all it will do is lead me into an emotional storm of self pity, and life is too short for something like that. If there is a 'God' then I think 'God' made me this way so I could develop as a better man and the way to do that was for be to be born with a female body.

Well, what I am saying is, yes I really do wish I was born a cis man, but if I had I would not have the wonderful daughter I have today and I am pretty sure I would not have learned the things in life as I have. I can proudly say that I like who I am, despite all my kinks and flaws :)

Being born trans is just another defect in a long list of birth defects that happen. Trying to assign blame after the fact is pointless.

Sure, there are external conditions that can cause it too, like the DES drug that hughe mentioned. I think it is probably a worthwhile effort for some people to research their family history to see if there are any factors that could have contributed, but at the end of the day you have to accept that sometimes it just happens.

A better question if you are trans* is how are you going to handle it?

Maybe I am not clear what exactly "trans" means plz guide
Is it being born in a body that you did not wish, and wanted to be like the other gender?
Or is it not liking the body in which you were born?
What I have written seems confusing to me ???

One precept of a question is that it can be answered. The answer may not be immediately forthcoming and that is what science is based upon.

By study we can find an answer.

By saying that it is also implicit that the answer is important. Yes why GI are born is important to find out, do we can identify and help GI people in the future.

Why we, were born GI is not in my opinion important. It is in fact irrelevant. We were.

Laying blame for anything in life is a basically useless exercise.
In the case of being transgender the blame that my brothers or sisters wish to place on some entity is a fruitless exercise. It will not and cannot result in an outcome.

If it was the wicked witch in a pointed hat, so what?

I still have to deal with it.

Being able to lay blame is not a useful exercise; it will not advance you.

To be very brutal, we know why people in Hiroshima have a high incidence of leukemia and cancer. Does it help them? Or does understanding how to treat their condition help them?

Now that I think of it....my mom also had a misarriage before she had me....

Sometimes I wish I had been born a cis-male.  Sometimes I wish I never existed.  Being born like this has given me so many bad experiences and royally screwed me up (certain things happened because "I was a girl" that no one should go through) and now I get to pick up the pieces- or what's left of them anyways.  But at the same time... I've survived.  I've conquered and am conquering. I've been forced to be a warrior when I'm nothing more than a wimp.  I'm what I am today because of all these bad experiences. It is what it is. There's no changing the past, there's no regret, it just is what it is.  I could blame my parents.  I could definitely blame God.  But... nothing will change things now.  I hate to be cheesy but, I gotta quote this. 
"I wish none of this had happened."
"So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

I agree with the assessment of Cindy (and others) that placing blame is a useless thing that produces no good in the slightest. There are even things which have a blame attached (for instance, getting low grades in school) but placing blame wouldn't help anyway. What you'd need to do is change your behavior, which takes work. I don't even think that placing blame makes people feel better. I'd be all for placing blame wrongly on your trans status if it actually helped you feel better about yourself in some way. But I don't think that this works like that.

--Jay

Quote from: av1 on March 28, 2014, 09:53:34 AM
Maybe I am not clear what exactly "trans" means plz guide
Is it being born in a body that you did not wish, and wanted to be like the other gender?
Or is it not liking the body in which you were born?
What I have written seems confusing to me ???

Trans - "on the other side of."  --Transgender is not identifying with the gender you were physically born as.  This includes the range of the community, MtF, FtM, genderqueer, androgyne, etc.  To answer your question simplistically, yes.  Trans is being born in the wrong gendered body, and wanting to be physically the gender you identify as.  Transwomen (MtF) are women born in male bodies.  Transmen (FtM) are men born with female bodies.  Transitioning serves to correct this.

cis - "on the same side of." -- being born physically the gender they identify as.  ciswomen are women born with female bodies.  Cismen are men born with male bodies.  No need to transition to correct anything.

well i believe in karma and rebirth so most probably it's my own fault. i must have done something terribly bad in a past life. but that doesn't mean i should sit and regret it for the rest of my life. whatever i did i've been good enough to be born human, so i must make the best out of this human life. challenges are there to overcome. even if it comes the hard way i shall receive the goodness in life to the degree i deserve. but to receive it i must move ahead and try. without trying i won't know what lies ahead of me waiting for my arrival eh?

That'd be like asking whose fault it was that a child got a cleft lip. Sometimes things go wrong. It's not anyone's fault, it's just the way life is sometimes.

Quote from: Cindy on March 28, 2014, 10:18:12 AM
One precept of a question is that it can be answered. The answer may not be immediately forthcoming and that is what science is based upon.

By study we can find an answer.

By saying that it is also implicit that the answer is important. Yes why GI are born is important to find out, do we can identify and help GI people in the future.

Why we, were born GI is not in my opinion important. It is in fact irrelevant. We were.

Laying blame for anything in life is a basically useless exercise.
In the case of being transgender the blame that my brothers or sisters wish to place on some entity is a fruitless exercise. It will not and cannot result in an outcome.

If it was the wicked witch in a pointed hat, so what?

I still have to deal with it.

Being able to lay blame is not a useful exercise; it will not advance you.

To be very brutal, we know why people in Hiroshima have a high incidence of leukemia and cancer. Does it help them? Or does understanding how to treat their condition help them?

Sorry, I have to disagree with you there! I think there are plenty of reasons why it is important to know what causes transness.

* I think it makes a massive difference to both you and those around you to know that you're not crazy and that what's happened to you isn't a purely psychological condition; that something happened during your prenatal development that physically altered the structure of your brain and gave you a "brain sex" that doesn't match your biological sex. I also think it would vastly improve public attitudes towards trans people in general if the full facts come out about what happened with DES.

* if one synthetic hormone can cause transness, then the likelihood is that others can too. While I don't see anything wrong with being trans, it causes a lot of difficulties later in life, a need for ongoing medical treatment, and of course has a high associated mortality rate (from suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, and a general tendency towards self destructiveness). If there's any possibility that some of the miscarriage treatments still in current use are also causing transsexuality, then that needs to be addressed!

* for natal DES daughters in particular, it's important to know about it if you were exposed, because you're at increased risk of vaginal, cervical, breast and ovarian cancer, and you should be having regular screening for cancer above and beyond what most natal women receive.

* the whole system for dealing with gender variant people is geared towards transition and gender reassignment. People like me, who've got some elements of male and some of female, aren't catered for. I know perfectly well that I'm not a woman, but one thing that worries me is that people similar to myself might end up being railroaded into SRS when it's not the most appropriate way of dealing with their situation.

* one common effect of these prenatal hormone exposures seems to be that your body's ability to control hormones later in life is impaired. While you're young your body seems to be able to compensate for this reasonably well, but as you get older there's an increasing likelihood of endocrine-related health problems and infertility. Among the DES daughters I've chatted with, two things I've seen mentioned a lot are PCOS and premature menopause, while hypogonadism and infertility seem to be very common experiences among DES sons. If you've had one of these hormone exposures, you'd be well advised to have any children you're planning on having sooner rather than later! You should also be aware that most doctors don't have the first clue when it comes to hormones, and get around this problem by refusing to diagnose or treat endocrine-related disorders in their patients. I'm not sure about the long term effects of untreated PCOS in natal women, but untreated hypogonadism in natal males (once it gets to the point where you develop the symptoms of acute hypogonadism, such as depression, loss of sex drive etc), will completely destroy your quality of life as well as setting you up for all sorts of health problems in old age.

Just to be a douche I said "you" but in truth I have too little evidence in any direction to attempt to determine a cause.  I don't think its anything new (ie its not caused by doctors and pharmaceutical companies).  Trans/genderless identities have popped up throughout history. 

Is it genetically hardwired into us regardless of our fetal environment?  or is it dependent on some sort of hormone levels or something else in your mother?  Who can say.  Its one of those I'd wager, because many trans people know they're the opposite gender prior to knowing what that may mean. 

I don't dare wager as to the existence of any gods or their activity in the creation of the universe or human kind.

I answered "No One".

Honestly...I don't even care HOW it happened. It's a waste of time worrying about/debating the "How's".

Screw that.

Doing something about it is a much better idea.

I've done what I could do and I've went from there.

What happened in the past doesn't matter. What is going on NOW is far more important.

Hmm, for me I wasn't born into the wrong body, just the wrong culture :c

I just consider me being female in the wrong body a birth defect that is now being corrected. I answered "No One," for if you carry blame hate or guilt around with you you'll never be able to move forward. ;)

Ally

Quote from: HughE on March 28, 2014, 07:22:00 PM
Sorry, I have to disagree with you there! I think there are plenty of reasons why it is important to know what causes transness.

* I think it makes a massive difference to both you and those around you to know that you're not crazy and that what's happened to you isn't a purely psychological condition; that something happened during your prenatal development that physically altered the structure of your brain and gave you a "brain sex" that doesn't match your biological sex. I also think it would vastly improve public attitudes towards trans people in general if the full facts come out about what happened with DES.

* if one synthetic hormone can cause transness, then the likelihood is that others can too. While I don't see anything wrong with being trans, it causes a lot of difficulties later in life, a need for ongoing medical treatment, and of course has a high associated mortality rate (from suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, and a general tendency towards self destructiveness). If there's any possibility that some of the miscarriage treatments still in current use are also causing transsexuality, then that needs to be addressed!

* for natal DES daughters in particular, it's important to know about it if you were exposed, because you're at increased risk of vaginal, cervical, breast and ovarian cancer, and you should be having regular screening for cancer above and beyond what most natal women receive.

* the whole system for dealing with gender variant people is geared towards transition and gender reassignment. People like me, who've got some elements of male and some of female, aren't catered for. I know perfectly well that I'm not a woman, but one thing that worries me is that people similar to myself might end up being railroaded into SRS when it's not the most appropriate way of dealing with their situation.

* one common effect of these prenatal hormone exposures seems to be that your body's ability to control hormones later in life is impaired. While you're young your body seems to be able to compensate for this reasonably well, but as you get older there's an increasing likelihood of endocrine-related health problems and infertility. Among the DES daughters I've chatted with, two things I've seen mentioned a lot are PCOS and premature menopause, while hypogonadism and infertility seem to be very common experiences among DES sons. If you've had one of these hormone exposures, you'd be well advised to have any children you're planning on having sooner rather than later! You should also be aware that most doctors don't have the first clue when it comes to hormones, and get around this problem by refusing to diagnose or treat endocrine-related disorders in their patients. I'm not sure about the long term effects of untreated PCOS in natal women, but untreated hypogonadism in natal males (once it gets to the point where you develop the symptoms of acute hypogonadism, such as depression, loss of sex drive etc), will completely destroy your quality of life as well as setting you up for all sorts of health problems in old age.

You misread my post

quote
Yes why GI are born is important to find out, do we can identify and help GI people in the future.
unquote

Who caused GI is irrelevant.

'Random biological processes'  should be added to the list. I consider transsexuality as a biological defect. Something went wrong somewhere, whether it is genetically or environmentally, or likely a combination of both. I don't blame my parents, nor a higher deity.

Also this can't happen, I think:

QuoteWith all that extra-strong oestrogen in her system, it makes sense that some of it might have converted to testosterone and it could have affected my brain.

I'm no doctor, but I believe T can convert into E, but not the other way around. Of course, all that estrogene could have had an impact in other ways, as indicated by previous posts.

The question wasn't WHAT causes trans, it's WHO causes trans, in the sense of who are you going to *blame*. That's quite a different question. Of course, since I feel that being trans is normal (though not convenient), I don't feel it is something inflicted on me. Though I think Mr X's "random biological process" works for me too.

--Jay

I actually agree with Malachite.  I will never forgive my parents for doing what they did to have me not to mention in the wrong body. I am also aware of it being unhealthy as hatred will only consume my energy but it can't be helped.

Nature. I think something went wrong while I was developing that caused me to be trans. I don't blame anyone other than nature because my parents didn't decide to have a trans kid, and I certainly didn't decide to be trans. Some things just happen. Nature screwed up. Sure, it sucks to have to live with it, but there's nothing we can do about it.

I suppose God.. But i don't really consider it something constituting blame. It's a journey.

Yeah, life is harder than I imagine it would have been to grow up as a cis-female, but I can't really know that for certain & i doubt I'd have the same, wonderful people in my life had I been.

I don't think anyone is to blame for my having been born into the wrong body.  I consider myself lucky in some ways because I was given the choice to choose my path.  I would have struggled a lot if I had actually grown up as a boy.  I'm very effeminate and also bisexual with a leaning towards men and that would have made for a lot of hardship for me as a youth.  So instead I got to grow up as a tomboy which is socially acceptable, while also being able to cultivate my interests without shame or being called derogatory names.  Puberty was hard enough without also being called a sissy or beaten up for being gay.

So, yes, I'm thirty and struggling to change my body.  But mentally I'm in a pretty good place.  I know who I am and I'm okay with it.

I think that there is a God, but He didn't make me this way.  He allowed it to happen, either for a reason, or just because he doesn't meddle in our every affair.

Quote from: llerret on March 28, 2014, 01:01:43 AM
I wasn't born in the wrong body. I was born in a trans* body.

I agree. Why is trans a fault?

I am learning that everything that I have been through has lead me to be the person I am today. If I were cis would I be so compassionate? As patient? As loyal? As observant? As analytical? I love these things about myself.

I feel grateful that I can discard that about me that is unfitting, but blame? I blame transphobia for making me feel afraid. For teaching me to hide for so many years. For making this process difficult and confusing.

Quote from: Emerson on March 30, 2014, 08:33:08 PM
I agree. Why is trans a fault?

I am learning that everything that I have been through has lead me to be the person I am today. If I were cis would I be so compassionate? As patient? As loyal? As observant? As analytical? I love these things about myself.

I feel grateful that I can discard that about me that is unfitting, but blame? I blame transphobia for making me feel afraid. For teaching me to hide for so many years. For making this process difficult and confusing.

Everyone views being trans differently.  For me it's a fault, it's a defect that caused me to be born female instead of male. If I were cis would I have the same values?  Most likely, because that's how my parents raised me and my siblings to be.  They raised us to be kind, caring, compassionate, etc.  I would still have been instilled with those values.  Would I be the same person I am now?  Probably not, but then I wouldn't be the same person I am now if I hadn't finished college, or met my best friend. 

I think it's something biological. I was born two months too early, so it's entirely possible I was born during a phase of getting testosterone in the womb, and later on would have received more estrogen and converted my male brain into a female brain. Unfortunately, I decided I was tired of being stuck in there and decided to make my entrance a little more grand than most babies do. (nearly killed both of us in the process too)

I don't mind being trans most of the time. The times it sucks are the times where my feelings and needs are completely ignored by those who love me. I know they're coming to terms with it, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. I may be being punished for something in a past life, or I may be living out a past life as a male. Who knows?

I've also heard that being a FTM may be something that happens when a FAAB is born after a MAAB. I was born after a son, so it's entirely possible that also has something to do with it.

It's also possible it's inherited. I've got high functioning autism. They're coming out with studies that it's being linked to your father being on the spectrum (my dad is DEFINITELY on the spectrum, but undiagnosed, and he also almost reaches the savant level of autism with math) Autism has a LOT of comorbidity with other "disordered" and my alphabet soup of what I've been diagnosed with over the past two or three years is quite a lot.

I don't blame any one though, and I don't really have many regrets. I chose to pursue this. I saw a video where it summed it up pretty well for me. Either transition. Go crazy. Or die. I reached the point where those were my only options. I'm already crazy. I don't want to die. So transitioning is the path I'm taking, the good lord willing and the creek don't rise.

:p

I don't think that there is anyone you can blame for this, it's just a thing that happens. Blaming someone isn't going to help you to fix the problem - in my opinion it's better to just accept where you are and work towards where you want to be.

Quote from: FTMDiaries on March 27, 2014, 06:19:07 AM
I strongly suspect that I may have been born trans* because of the high-dose contraceptive pills my mother used to take back in the 1960s & 1970s. With all that extra-strong oestrogen in her system, it makes sense that some of it might have converted to testosterone and it could have affected my brain.

Actually, the main hormonal component of contraceptive pills is a progestin, not an estrogen. What's more, the progestins used in the first generation of contraceptive pills were derivatives of testosterone, not progesterone, and they turned out to have the ability to cause male development in a female fetus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progestin-induced_virilisation

As well as being used in contraceptive pills, progestins were (and still are) used in "difficult" pregnancies, and prior to its removal from the market were often co-prescribed alongside DES. The numbers exposed are far higher than is made out in that wiki article, e.g. see:
http://prenatalexposures.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/worse-than-thalidomide-consequences-of.html

and are probably well into the millions. As with DES, most of the exposure has taken place during the later stages of the pregnancy, after genital development has already completed and when brain development is the main thing going on.