At what age can you undergo Endometrial Ablation?

[DarkEye]

I'm transgender (Female-To-Male/FTM), I'm 15 years old.

I would go on birth control if there was no chance of it causing feminine curves. That would be a nightmare to have large breasts when, mentally, you're male.

And taking testosterone have some negative side effects being a pretty intense hormone; I'm conscious of my health. And luckily I already look/sound boyish enough to pass as male. And a big issue about taking testosterone is that my relatives would notice changes and would probably burn me alive (Hypothetically speaking), and I don't want them to hate me and stare at me like a freak.

Endometrial Ablation sounds like a good option to stop periods without negative side effects physically or socially. But being 15 is a MASSIVE dilemma because I don't think a doctor would induce infertility to someone that age. But I'm transgender, so could that allow me to have it done??

It's either having this procedure done or I die loathing myself because I couldn't live a life where waking up in the morning was worth doing.
I have EXTREMELY SEVERE gender dysphoria. Nothing's working for me. I keep hoping I'll wake up from a nightmare of being biologically female, or that I don't wake up at all the next morning.

Help? Also, this is my first post here... People on Yahoo Answers just told me 15 is too young to be transgender and that I'll accept being female later. How is that even a possibility? :C

EDIT: Oh, sorry, I've seen others list their age, so I thought it'd be okay to here.

[aleon515]

BTW, you might go in and edit your age out. It's against forum rules to list it and it's not safe internet behavior.

You are transgender regardless of age. There are very young children coming out as trans at age 5 and even younger. But treatment for trans, if you have a supportive parent it might be possible to go on hormone blockers. They would not cause you to transition medically, but would block the secondary sex characteristics (ie period, etc). However, the shots are quite expensive, and require good insurance policies.

I am a little old for the whole birth control thing, but that may not be such a terrible option. I've herd that it is more likely to get tenderness than actually growing the breasts. Another one is depro shots. It is a hormone but they are less involved in feminization. There are number of guys here on it, so maybe they can comment. I believe you may be right re: endometrial ablation, but it's not an easy procedure, from my reading of it.

Hang in there buddy. I believe this is going to be the hardest time for you. There are other young guys here who can help out.



--Jay

[Skyler]

Don't need to edit your age out it can just be moved to youth talk by a forum mod. We recognize it is sometimes needed to know a minors age due to age restrictions for surgery/hormones.


My endo said that she could give me birth control (if i wanted) that apparently doesn't have estrogen or something like that in it so it wouldn't be adding to my system or adding feminizing affects... I don't recall the whole conservation but it could be something to bring up at a planned parent hood clinic or with your doctor if you choose to go that route.  I|'m not sure of the procedure you speak of "endometrial ablation" so I cant speak on behalf of that. And most likely you would need your parents consent for it. But you seemed to have not mentioned how they feel about you being trans or maybe you havent spoken to them about it..

Also you shouldn't care about what your relatives think about you being trans as long as you are in a safe environment. If they love you then they will love you as your identified gender.

(Also note if you live in the US or UK you must be 16 to start taking testosterone with parental consent)

Best of wishes
~Sky

[FTMax]

You will not find a reputable doctor who would perform a surgical intervention for a minor without parental consent. I highly doubt you would find a reputable doctor who would perform a surgical intervention which would render you infertile as a minor even with parental consent. Not when there are other options available to stop your period.

Only a small percentage of people who take birth control experience weight gain. Those that do are typically in life stages where there is high weight fluctuation anyway (puberty, college). Most people also don't experience breast growth on birth control. And there are so many different types now that we really can't generalize about the effects and experiences while on them. I would highly recommend speaking with a medical professional about the available options. As Jay said, shots are an option that many guys pursue. A hormone based IUD would also be something to consider; the copper ones will not stop a period.

It sounds like instead of doing additional research, you jumped to what would be the ideal for you (the endometrial ablation), and are now hoping to find a way to get it despite your age and lack of parental knowledge. I understand how you're feeling, but I don't think you've really thought any of this through.

Descriptions for a multitude of birth control options: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control

[Pixie]

Endometrial Ablation sounds like a good option [...]

It's either having this procedure done or I die loathing myself because I couldn't live a life where waking up in the morning was worth doing.

Not at all. Surgery at your age is not a good first option given the other possible options out there.

I wasn't quite that young, and I had another diagnosis that made medical professionals very eager to provide me with an error-free birth control method so I didn't have to fight for it... But before I had my hysterectomy, I used an IUD to both stop my periods and avoid flooding my body with female hormones. The one I used for about a decade was the Mirena IUD, and it worked very very very well. I had no weight gain, it did not increase my breast size, and I had no fluctuating female hormones driving me insane. I had no periods beyond the rare occasional spotting with it. Planned Parenthood was where I went for it. I can't remember at what age you no longer need parental consent for planned parenthood services, but they should be able to at least talk to you and help you figure out the best options. You definitely sound like you need to talk to someone knowledgeable. The Mirena is not the only option either, it's just the one I used.

[DarkEye]

I have looked into other options besides surgical procedures. I've actually looked at ways to stop menstruation over the course of at least six months... :/

I'm worried about side effects caused by medication so I'm hesitant at the moment. Though the Mini-pill seems the least likely to cause problems because it lacks estrogen, I can't find any information on if you get any say in what Pill you get.

I don't want testosterone, at least not YET. Maybe 18 or something.

I've tried to use the Instead Softcup, which you can use for up to 12 hours and they have no risk of TSS. But unfortunately it really hurt and I was worried I wouldn't be able to remove it if it went any further because it seemed so tight even though I wasn't tensed up. I was hoping this product would help lessen the dysphoria.

[FTMax]

I wouldn't obsess over the side effects if you're young, healthy, and don't typically experience side effects with other medications. I take regular medication for a chronic condition (for the last 5 years) and testosterone (for however long the ticker says), and I have yet to experience any negative side effects. I think it's also one of those things where if you're looking for certain symptoms, you're more likely to see them.

You'd get a say in what medication they put you on. Based on insurance you may be required to get generics instead of name brand, but it's the same chemical makeup. I don't think the mini-pill stops periods in most cases though? I'd have to read more up on it. If I remember correctly it just lightens them.

Like I said, this would definitely be a discussion to have with a friendly doctor. If you live in a progressive area, try to find an LGBT clinic or a Planned Parenthood. They'd all be much better equipped to answer specific questions about what could work for you based on your desires. If I were you, I would let your parents know that you're having some period issues. Just say they're long/painful/etc. If they're in the loop they can talk to their insurance about getting you access to what you need as cheaply as possible.

[Bran]

Sounds like you've done your research.  The one thing I don't think I saw was hormone blockers-- it's the standard treatment for trans teens and, I think, should stop your cycles.  If you're considering the mini-pill, you should also consider depo provera, implanon, or the Mirena intrauterine device.  All are progesterone-only, long-term and reliable.  The mini-pill has to be taken at the same time every day, or it gets unpredictable.  Depo and implanon have a reputation for weight gain and can make your periods irregular for the first few months.  But most people have no periods at all by the end of the first year, and the weight gain is usually minimal compared to what people gain on their own-- and it's more of a problem for people who are already heavy.  The Mirena is a hassle to get put in, and it's gotten some bad press.  But the bad press is *false*, mostly lies and exaggerations from lawyers who want to make money off of lawsuits. And the procedure to get it put in is similar to what you'd go through for an endometrial ablation.

Endometrial ablation at your age is a *bad* idea and I would be very worried about you seeing any doctor who would do it.  This is a treatment meant for women near menopause who are having heavy periods.  It's a great procedure for the people it's meant for-- but it has a very specific purpose.  It's far from 100% to stop your periods at all, certainly won't stop them forever, it can cause significant scarring which can lead to chronic pain, and it won't do anything to stop the hormonal cycling.  Frankly, a hysterectomy would be safer, and no reputable surgeon would do that for someone so young. You still need all your organs at this point. 

You really should find a doctor you trust to talk about this with.  You're doing your research, but it's hard to figure out which information is reliable on your own, and there's a lot of bull out there on the internet.  What you've said suggests that you've gotten some bad info.  You need someone on your side who has the medical knowledge to give you good advice. If there's a planned parenthood near you, they'd be a good start.  Depending on where you are, they might be surprised by the trans thing at first, but they won't be judgmental, and they've got the knowledge you need.  You can't figure this out all on your own.

[Alexthecat]

You might not want kids now but it can change. At 19 I didn't and now at 23 I am considering it. I also mentioned hysto to my doctor back then for periods and they wouldn't do and I'm kind of glad they said no. I'm on depo-provera since then.

[Ptero]

You have the chance to be a teenager in 2014 and hormones blockers exist. You can try depo-provera or only progestative pill or things like that. But the result about periods or other secondary sexual caracteristics are not guaranteed. And they would just add hormones to your body, even if it's not oestrogens, it's not anodyne.
I know you are probably very scared about talking to your parents, but you're not obliged to be alone. It could be a good idea to ask help from a psychologist, a family therapist or somebody like that to tell them. You can find one in family planning, this kind of centers. Your parents can be positively influenced by the fact another adult, with a degree, can tell them you are not mad or imagining things.

As you have a chance to do it, it could be a good thing for you to try to live sincerely as soon as possible. I mean, it's very tough to "lie" 7/7 24/24 to your family and friends about who you truly are. And it gets worst with time. You are very young and every reasonable person will understand that it's a period when you need to find yourself. Don't ask them to understand what you are going through. And don't listen to those who will tell you that it's just a phase. Just enjoy the fact that they will consider that you need help.

[Bimmer Guy]

My understanding from Susan's thread on the subject is that people under 18 can say their age, regardless of the forum they are in.

With that said, I hope that the Youth Talk forum gets utilized more.  I think we have a large number of under 18 people on here and I hope that it becomes a lively forum for youth, not just adults who are doing their best to keep it rolling/answering a thread to keep it from being unanswered.