Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Starting wise, at what age does someone have to be for them to be considered an early transitioner? And at what age is considered relatively late?

I am aware that there is no age limit when starting transitioning and there are people all over the age spectrum. I'm just curious to hear your opinions.

Two post and you are already asking difficult questions  ;D I feel an early transitioner would be somebody who transitions in their teens or younger. An older would be middle age or older. That leave another area of 20-30  years that doesn't have a name and I can't think of one other than just plain transitioner.

Early transition in my book would be someone starting at or before puberty.  After that, one is trying to reverse processes and it just seems different.  It also means, I do not subscribe to the notion that there is any wrong time to transition if one feels the need to transition.

Quote from: kaitylynn on February 18, 2017, 09:08:52 PM
Early transition in my book would be someone starting at or before puberty.  After that, one is trying to reverse processes and it just seems different.  It also means, I do not subscribe to the notion that there is any wrong time to transition if one feels the need to transition.

I'd agree with this.

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Quote from: kaitylynn on February 18, 2017, 09:08:52 PM
Early transition in my book would be someone starting at or before puberty.  After that, one is trying to reverse processes and it just seems different.  It also means, I do not subscribe to the notion that there is any wrong time to transition if one feels the need to transition.

I agree - the process of transition appears to be different between those who have gone through most/all of puberty and those that haven't.

I might throw in another option - before starting a family vs. after starting a family.

However, if you imply that the transition is different - IMO it would be pre or post puberty as the dividing line.

Sort of along the lines of Dena's answer. A "Young" transitioner is someone who started the process before puberty hit. Post-puberty is mostly driven by how much of a life you lived and are willing to put at risk. The older you are, the more complicated it becomes for you as well as others close to you and your shared lives

At what age does puberty end?

One thing I know from personal experience is that 39 is painfully on the late side ;)

My personal experience is that 47 was not at all too late to start and I feel like a million bucks all the time!  I will not lament time having passed as it has already seen its light.  The point now is to live, now and present for the rest granted!

Early would be before puberty I guess and later would be beyond 60...

When we consider drawing lines anywhere perhaps drawing a large circle that includes the entirety of humanity is a good place to start?  Once we start drawing lines we can also create divisions and emphasize arbitrary differences.  Age is not much of a reliable indicator for success, wisdom, maturity or ability.

Lets us not forget the past social experiments when thoughtful teachers began with dividing their classroom students by eye color, then hair color then left handiness and then an elite and lessor status quickly ensued.  To what end do we seek to draw any lines?

I gladly acknowledge being an older transitioner and sometimes surprised I made it this far and feel so good.  From here it is easy to recommend starting transition as early as a consistent, insistent and persistent gender identity is established.
Being able to live the majority of ones life with gender and bodily congruence aligned would seem to reduce the years, maybe even decades of pain and suffering some of us have known too long.

I transitioned in my early 60's , so I guess it's relative.

Early for me would be starting the medical process prior to turning 18, and especially applicable for anyone who manages to start prior to or offset puberty.

Older, not so sure. I think the longer you wait, the less it becomes about age and the more it becomes about what sort of life experience you're accruing in that time. For example, a lot of who I would consider to be "older" transitioners often have spouses or children to consider when they start transitioning. That is an issue that is unique to that demographic.

I'm working on the difference between older transitioner and dirt!  :laugh:

Hugs, Devlyn

Ok, my endo has spoken.  Her opinion is simple...the only dividing line (and it is not truly a division of anything) is whether HRT is stopping the onset (prior to puberty) or shifting things away from what is already underway (post puberty).  She asked why I asked the question (sent an email) and I said it was an academic question posed in a support forum.

She pointed out that the regimens are almost identical, though for her part she would focus on blocking T for pre-puberty to give some time before starting Estradiol.

In the end, I have found that age has less to do with it than genetics.  I am 'older', but still not 50 and I have had some pretty awesome results.  I have sisters that are close to my same starting date that are in their early 20's that have not gotten anywhere near the results.

No matter, if you find that you are in need of starting, then start...regardless of age :)

I think nowadays the line really is moving forwards. Two decades ago, me transitining in my early 20ies was considered to be young, since any treatments before age 18 or even age 21 when it comes to GRS was really really hard to get. Nowadays, I would draw the line at around age 14 or 15 maybe. So basically at the time when the voice breaks and beard grows, if you manage to transition before tha, you are early and will only need hormones and genital surgery - after that, the amount of work that has to be done is increasing steadily, so its kind of a mixed phase. At about age 25 or older, it matters less if it is one or two years more and the difference between 40 and 50 is not that much either.

I like to look at it like this "early" "young" and "later/older"

early is pre puberty, young are those of us who started transition in the middle of puberty or like that weird time in between being a teenager and becoming an adult which is when I started. My adult life hadn't even begun yet.