Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hello,
I was once told by a doctor to have a genetic/gene test done but I don't really know much about it.  Is it just like a regular blood work that determines hormone levels?  Does the result give any other type of information such as chromosomes too?  Also, how  would I actually get an approval for this type of testing?  Do I just go to a gynecologist or something?  Help would be much appreciated.

I've never heard of someone getting genetic testing for being trans.  I'm assuming it's to determine if you have an extra or missing sex chromosome?  Those tests aren't really needed unless you're having other health problems that suggest a genetic condition. 

To test hormone levels all you need is to have simple blood work done.  Any Dr. can do that. 

There is no test for being trans.
Chromosomes can be tested by extracting them from the blood, (or so I believe) but this is only to see if a person is intersex. Trans and intersex are completely different things all together.
If you have a normal, fully functioning female body, then there's no reason to believe that you're intersex.

Hah, my parents want me to do this too. They want me to do hormone AND genetic testing even though i've told them multiple times that neither will show them what they want to see (that me being trans has a cure) - even my doctor AND therapist said so.

I'm just gritting my teeth and bearing it. I believe genetic testing is just like bloodwork - since i have to have blood drawn for thyroid anyway i'm just going to an endo to have it all done at once. No skin off my back, really. If they want testing i'll do it cuz they're my parents - if they can find SOMETHING that might make it easier for them to deal with this, then hey... worth it.

I draw the line at invasive procedures, though. And multiple blood tests.

Ladies? Excellent.

Quote from: perlita85 on July 04, 2010, 09:36:42 AM
Hi, Ladies,

You might want to check the area you are posting in before you say stuff like that.

The Australian test that was performed showed some interesting promise to indicate that there is a physical cause to gender identity dysphoria.  I hope that the study is expanded.  However abnormal levels of the aromatase enzyme (it's not a gene there is a gene responsible for it's biosynthetic behavior) cannot be a definitive indicator of GID.

Higher levels of aromatase is also linked to breast cancer in women and Gynocomastia in male body builders.

But the bottom line is that even if there is a true, real, genetic switch or event that could be found that absolutely, one hundred percent of the time PROVE that a person was transsexual, it would have little bearing on the outcome.  We would still be caterpillars seeking to become butterflys.  I doubt very much that there would be some "cure" anytime soon that would release us from the prison we find ourselves in.

And even if there were, would you take it?  This "red pill/blue pill" type question has been asked repeatedly here and in other places.  Oddly, most people feel that if their GID were cured and they became happy about being their birth gender that they would feel that it was akin to dying.  That we would be changing to allow society the comfort of not having to deal with icky trans people.

For me, sorry, but no.  Society has to learn to deal with me and my brothers and sisters, not the other way around.

-Sandy

If it keeps them happy then what's the harm?

There is nothing to find, unless they think you might have hidden some secret plans or perhaps evidence of an imminant alien invasion.

I would almost guarantee this is just an expensive test, which they will charge for, which will reveal nothing but suggest to fretful parents and such, that they are doing everything imaginable.

:D

Quote from: Sandy on July 04, 2010, 10:04:00 AM
Oddly, most people feel that if their GID were cured and they became happy about being their birth gender that they would feel that it was akin to dying.  That we would be changing to allow society the comfort of not having to deal with icky trans people.

It's not odd at all. Ask cis people if they'd take a pill that would turn them into the opposite sex permanently.

I'm male. I'm a guy. If, at some point, a woman were to begin inhabiting my body, she would not be me; I would cease to exist. That is death.

I'd be wary of those tests being used to "prove" anything trans related. It's a double edged sword.

Ok, so there might be a physical cause. My shrink seemed to think so. I for one came back with stupidly high T levels with no "normal" cause (ie, no tumors, no PCOS, etc).

But what about the majority of trans people that check out as physically normal examples of their birth sex?

Would advancements in medical knowledge in this area be used to potentially deny those transpeople the care they seek?

Quote from: perlita85 on July 04, 2010, 09:36:42 AM
Hi, Ladies,

The majority of people in this section are not women. Please be mindful of this in future. Addressing us in that way is highly disrespectful.

Quote from: kyril on July 04, 2010, 06:45:59 PM
It's not odd at all. Ask cis people if they'd take a pill that would turn them into the opposite sex permanently.

I'm male. I'm a guy. If, at some point, a woman were to begin inhabiting my body, she would not be me; I would cease to exist. That is death.

A more appropriate word would be "interestingly" rather than "oddly".

Agreed!

-Sandy

I had my chromosomes tested one time a few years ago. They drew blood I think, or maybe they swabbed my mouth. I don't remember.

They tested mine cause I was in the psych ward and cause of my "GID" they wanted to see if I had abnormal chromosomes. I think an endo came in and did it.

Quote from: kyril on July 04, 2010, 06:45:59 PM
It's not odd at all. Ask cis people if they'd take a pill that would turn them into the opposite sex permanently.

I'm male. I'm a guy. If, at some point, a woman were to begin inhabiting my body, she would not be me; I would cease to exist. That is death.

That's a realy good point. Thanks kyril. I'll give that some careful thought.

Quote from: perlita85 on July 04, 2010, 09:36:42 AM
Hi, Ladies,

The levels of your sex hormons can be detemined by bood analysis. Any inconcgruacny can be attributed to a tumor. This is not a test for GID but can be reveling of hermaphroditism

A cytological examinaton of your chromosomes, can reveal many of the chromosome aberrations that lead to XO, XXY, etc. some of the people with this chromose aberrations do suffer from GID

Now, here is the news!!! Recent reaserch from Australia has shown that MTF GID folks have a mutation on a gene called aromatase. If you have the onies you can contact one of those DNA testing facilites and have them test your DNA to see if you have the defective aramotae gene. The aussie study was limited i scope! How many MTF have this mutation is not knon now

Aromatase is an enzyme, not a gene, but it is encoded by the gene CYP19, which is on Chromosome 15.

I had my chromosomes tested as part of a bunch of tests my doctor did when I first came to see her about my gender dysphoria. I didn't ask her for it, she just included in the tests they did on my blood.

It's just a routine blood test, it doesn't prove anything except if you have a chromosomal intersex condition or not.

Quote from: perlita85 on July 08, 2010, 06:52:05 PM
Do you know what CYP19 stands for?

I believe the CYP19 is the location on the chromosome. Each chromosome contains more than one gene. there are thousands (maybe even millions) of genes, and there are only 26 chromosomes in most humans.

Quote from: gilligan on July 08, 2010, 07:02:40 PM
I believe the CYP19 is the location on the chromosome. Each chromosome contains more than one gene. there are thousands (maybe even millions) of genes, and there are only 26 chromosomes in most humans.

There are actually 46 chromosomes in most humans cells, with each chromosome apart from the sex chromosomes in XY individuals being in duplicate. These duplicates exist in pairs, so there are 23 pairs of chromosomes in most human cells. There is an estimated 20-25,000 genes in the human genome.

Quote from: perlita85 on July 09, 2010, 08:39:24 PM
The genebank preferred name for this gene is "Cytochrome p450 19A1," but is most comonly refered in the medical literature as Cytochrome P450arom; as you probaly have gues by now, CY stands for Cytohrome, P stands for fraction, 19 is the fraction number. The gene is also refrerd in the medical literatures gene: cypXIX, strogen synthase (EC 1.14.14.1), AND AROMATASE.

i've only just finished the first semester of general biology (out of 2 at my university).