Quote from: Britney_413 on January 20, 2011, 12:08:30 AM
Like I said I'm not a doctor. If your therapist and/or doctor thinks you should take HRT then all power to you. It is certainly true that there are people who are bigendered, androgynous, and genderqueer. There are those who are intersexed as well. These are all different though than transsexualism. I routinely see the term transsexualism incorrectly assigned to issues that are not transsexualism. For transsexual care, the purpose is to provide hormones to make the individual hormonally of the gender they are transitioning to. I wasn't aware that hormones were routinely prescribed to other TG people who are not transsexual. I stand corrected.

Maybe the true transsexuals should wear a badge..."certified TS, who underwent SRS".
That will show em!

I can't give medical advice and neither can most other people here. It remains my opinion, however, that hormones and other drugs are not toys to be played with. I'm tired of the identity theft that has happened to TS people by the "gender community." If you are not neurologically of one sex with the body of another sex then by medical definition you are NOT TS. It has nothing to do with "feeling" masculine or feminine, liking dolls as a kid instead of trucks, etc. although there are often correlations. It strictly has to do with being in the wrong body, period. There has been an explosion in just the past few years of people coming out as TS and wanting to take hormones, etc. "but not go all the way." They say "I'm a MTF TS" yet they want their penis and enjoy using their penis to penetrate other men and women, want to keep their testosterone levels up, etc. yet look otherwise like a female. That is not TS because that is not the definition of being "born in the wrong body."

The original post was from someone wanting to start HRT but not going all the way and not considering herself "completely female." Hormones are dangerous, they can shorten your life, give you blood clots, fry your heart and liver, and kill you. The only sensible puropse to taking dangerous drugs is to correct a serious condition. Unfortunately, in America (and perhaps elsewhere) it has become popular for people to want to pill pop so that they can "feel better about themselves" when drugs are not really necessary. Doctors will most of the time prescribe them anyway. There are plenty of doctors who don't follow the SOC either.

I'm aware hormones are used for cisgender reasons but that wasn't the point I was making. Anyway, I'm going to comment more along these lines in another thread on another forum because it is going off-topic.

Quote from: Britney_413 on January 22, 2011, 10:46:16 PM
There has been an explosion in just the past few years of people coming out as TS and wanting to take hormones, etc. "but not go all the way." They say "I'm a MTF TS" yet they want their penis and enjoy using their penis to penetrate other men and women, want to keep their testosterone levels up, etc. yet look otherwise like a female. That is not TS because that is not the definition of being "born in the wrong body."

This explosion is an explosion of truth and the myriad of gender identity.  There have to be some women who want penises. You often post about the true transsexual but it's just not that way anymore.  Some people want a genderless identity or want to identify as "themselves."

I am dysphoric and have been since my earliest memories.  My mind map and body do not align.  I do not use my penis to penetrate and have never been able to.  I am good looking and very successful.  I have been seeing gender therapists since I found out they exist in my early twenties.  I am approved for HRT.  I have mostly female friends but also a few male friends.  I am bisexual but married a beautiful successful cis woman who has known from our first date. I have a son. (a planned slapstick moment for someone who isn't aroused by penetration) I am out as TS to many people.  I am successful and my name appears on film, tv, and books I've worked on.  I wouldn't want to change it.  I don't need to change that much right now although I think it's inevitable that I transition fully later in life, if I live that long.  I have A cup breasts and a girl's butt, have always had gynocamastia.  I don't cross-dress.  I wear some product every day.  I may start HRT in the next few months...may not. I waffle every day.   I am TS but ironically my body is not that important to me either way.  I work and take the advantages I get.  Full transition would be a huge, distracting disadvantage and since my life is somewhat public...a bit of a joke.

You can be TG without it being the most critical thing in your life and putting a little toe in the water makes total sense.

According to the SOC, HRT can be prescribed without intent to fully transition. There are certain changes from HRT that are most likely permanent (probably the most important being eventual infertility). However, most of the changes are likely to be subtle: drier and less oily skin, less body hair, more subcutaneous fat, some breast development (sure, you might get C cups, but don't bet on it), etc. Most trans women starting their transition  any time after their early 20's have to try and do more than simply go on HRT in order to ensure that people read their gender as undoubtedly female, or at lest very nearly so. At the very least, this includes removal of facial hair.

So going on HRT is actually just the thing to give you a "nice mixture of both" male and female ... much to mu chagrin.

By the way, DO NOT skip the estrogen. Just don't. Your body needs it -- either that or testosterone -- and just going on T blockers is likely to kill not only your sex drive, but your drive in general. Some doctors start with just T blockers, but they introduce E within a few months.

Now here's the one problem with your whole plan:


There are two reasons for this. The first reason is simple: Society doesn't do a very good job of making a place for people who don't fit well into one of the two binary gender categories or the other. The second reason is more complicated: Transsexual people, by the fact of being transsexual, don't have an experience of living in a congruent gender role until they transition, which makes it difficult to imagine what it might feel like to do so. As a result, many go through a period of identifying as neither female nor male, which quickly ends after a few concrete steps toward transition. My personal experience and what I have read on this site over the last three years suggests that HRT is often the catalyst that makes people want to TRANSITION RIGHT NOW!!!! It really threw me for a loop, even though I had been warned.

In other words:


Best wishes for your journey. It will probably be difficult, but also extremely rewarding, wherever it takes you.

Quote from: Britney_413 on January 22, 2011, 10:46:16 PM
I can't give medical advice and neither can most other people here. It remains my opinion, however, that hormones and other drugs are not toys to be played with. I'm tired of the identity theft that has happened to TS people by the "gender community." If you are not neurologically of one sex with the body of another sex then by medical definition you are NOT TS. It has nothing to do with "feeling" masculine or feminine, liking dolls as a kid instead of trucks, etc. although there are often correlations. It strictly has to do with being in the wrong body, period. There has been an explosion in just the past few years of people coming out as TS and wanting to take hormones, etc. "but not go all the way." They say "I'm a MTF TS" yet they want their penis and enjoy using their penis to penetrate other men and women, want to keep their testosterone levels up, etc. yet look otherwise like a female. That is not TS because that is not the definition of being "born in the wrong body."

How do you know? Do you know all these people personally? No. So why are you so judgemental? I know transwoman who had surgery and with my best fantasy I could never view them as woman, because she is masculine in EVERY WAY... including the way she treats woman. I know a transwoman that was ALWAYS feminine and now lives as a woman but decided not to undergo the surgery. I my view she is more woman then the post op woman I described. And that is not only my personal view, it's also the view of all the people she meets.
I know transmen and woman who did not have surgery but If they were not able to transition with hormones they would have ended their lives. It's these people's live's you are beeing judgemental about.
Born in the wrong body? 80% of transwoman experienced only mild to moderate discomfort living in the wrong body and social role for almost half of their lives. And a lot of so called non-ops (non-TS as you say) have experienced severe discomfort. So dont give me that fairytale. I won't buy it.

Anyway, I am tired of the discussion anyway....it is not worth it. And the way you view TS makes me believe you yourself are not a TS. Because as a TS from childhood on, you should know that genderidentity has nothing to do with your genitals.

Bye
Birgit

To the OP: Yes, you can adjust the doses to get the feminization you want. Just be aware of the risks.

I'm TS, but I don't want to give up my future career because I wouldn't be able to live without it. Therefore, I can't transition, but I'm a woman inside. I cycle on & off HRT. I recently moved and this town doesn't have a TG-friendly psychiatrist nor endocrinologist and closest one is 2-3 hours away. From my previous city, I've been prescribed hormones by my endocrinologist & my psychiatrist knows that I'm cycling HRT because of my situation. I'm in a weird situation in this new town because I have no medical support compared to my previous city I was living in, but my previous specialists all have been very supportive and I'm thankful for that.

Life isn't always black and white. Life happens... HRT on full throttle isn't for everyone. A lot of us are just protective of each other & worried about each other on here.

Quote from: tatiana on January 29, 2011, 11:56:03 PM
I cycle on & off HRT. .... I've been prescribed hormones by my endocrinologist & my psychiatrist knows that I'm cycling HRT because of my situation.

Why cycling rather than a consistent low dose?

S

Quote from: Simone Louise on January 30, 2011, 08:26:21 AM
Why cycling rather than a consistent low dose?

Not to hijack this thread... I'll keep this short.

Effects of low dose leads to continuous feminization while just anti-androgens are just not enough against GID. I still want to retain my masculinity since I am living a male role. Message me if you want to discuss in detail.