Things to consider before you transition (for FTMs)
1. You will never be a ârealâ man. At no point in life will you be completely indistinguishable from a cis man. You may eventually pass as male in a social situation, but your body will always be female, or that of a surgically altered and mutilated female.
2. You may not be able to pass. Even on testosterone, people may be acutely aware that youâre trans. Do you really want to live life as a constant uphill battle trying to convince people youâre a man?
3. Before you pass, lesbians and straight men may find you attractive. Gay men will not. Trans men tend to get enraged by this. After you pass, gay men will not want to have sex with you, because you still have a vagina. You are still female.
4. Sex reassignment surgery is a huge risk to take (it can go horribly wrong), and you will never have a functioning penis. A flap of arm skin sewn onto your groin is not a real penis.
âThe possible risks of transmasculine bottom surgery include, but are not limited to, bleeding, infection, poor healing of incisions, hematoma, nerve injury, failure of the transplanted tissues to survive, unsightly scars, exposure of the prosthesis, injury to the urinary tract, abnormal connections between the urethra and the skin, painful intercourse and anesthesia risks.â
5. It is okay to be a gender non conforming woman. It is okay to be a lesbian. It is okay to be a tomboy. It is okay to wear menâs clothes, play sport, have male friends, etc. None of this makes you a man.
6. Hormone therapy/puberty blockers are dangerous and we still arenât aware of all the risks.
âComplications of masculinizing hormone therapy include:
Producing too many red blood cells (polycythemia)
Developing male-pattern baldness
Elevated liver function tests
An abnormal amount of lipids in the blood (dyslipidemia), with a higher risk in those who have polycystic ovary syndrome
Worsening of an underlying manic or psychotic condition
High blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, when risk factors are present
Evidence suggests no increased risk of breast or cervical cancer.The evidence that masculinizing hormone therapy increases the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer is inconclusive. Further research is needed.â
7. Gender dysphoria is a mental illness, no matter how anyone else tries to frame it. It is not an identity or something to celebrate. As with all other mental illnesses, you can undergo therapy to help you become more comfortable and accepting of your sex and âassignedâ gender.
Why am I telling you all this? Because it may stop you from making a huge mistake that you regret for the rest of your life.Â