Thoughts about T

Somehow, I came across this website The dirt from Dirt: The TRUTH about Testosterone effects and Transmen (ftM) and although a lot of this stuff is based on opinion it was pretty scary that my own observations and feelings backed these ideas up.

I'm very unsure about taking T, even though my dysphoria is seriously bad. What are your thoughts?

 

I think any website that sets out to tell me I shouldn't alter my body in any way has absolutely nothing to teach me, since we disagree so fundamentally about the nature of the body.

I mean looking down that list it has some pretty pathetic arguments. My favourite beings "You may think/hope by taking "T" that you will look this" and shows a picture of a muscular guy who clearly works out all the damn time (I mean literally no person in history looks like that without significant dedication) then says "But in all likelihood you will appear more like the generic trans(man) such as this" and posts three pictures of perfectly nice looking average guys.

Frankly I find that to be fucking insulting more than anything.

More importantly, given the nature of the comments at the bottom, I'm guessing that website isn't exactly 'trans friendly' in nature, so I wouldn't be basing any decisions off of what it says.

Thing is, you know damn well that hormones aren't some magical potion that will give you the perfect male body, we all know that. We all know there are risks and that's why we are careful to make sure people consider very hard before they decide it's what they need.

By all means be unsure, but given how that site looks, I wouldn't be using it for any of my information...

 

Please don't use this website as any part of the deciding process...

... The bit that gets me is this:

You may think/hope by taking "T" that you will look this:

But in all likelihood you will appear more like the generic trans(man) such as this:


That's so insulting! Especially when those transmen aren't bad looking guys! Newsflash, that's what cis-guys look like, not everyone's a buff model...


There are medical risks, but the odds are astronomical. And they should test your blood and stuff before you start anyway. Not to mention the regular check-ups.

 

So your saying if I take E I won't look this this?

XD. Obviously they're making an argument from ignorance.

 

I looked through the whole site a bit more and needless to say it seems like a very unpleasant place to be...

 

Damn! That's the look I was shooting for too!

 

I won't look like that from taking hormones?

Thank goodness...

 

dirtywhiteboi is infamous for bein a transphobic asshole basically(especially towards the guys).

I think it's so pathetic that she's still kickin' around in 2014 and postin' shit. She is beyond obsessed.

 

Gotta say I had a similar reaction reading that webpage. The language smells heavily (like a male's pungent urine :rolle of hyperbole and confirmation bias. Definitely should not be taken for anything scientific or even well-reasoned.

Turn this guy upside-down:

 

I have to admit, yes it IS offensive, especially the comment about the transmen having a generic appearance akin to down syndrome. But without wanting to cause massive offense and bring in specific examples here from youtube, I have to say that from what I have watched and read BEFORE reading this webpage, there is some truth in these comments and maybe we're just kidding ourselves by thinking hormones will give us what we want? I'm just thinking along the lines of 'better the devil you know than the devil you don't' and while I would swap my body for a cis guy in a heartbeat, would I really wish to take some of the risks testosterone presents? I'm not talking about the medical risks because as far as I'm concerned, healthy cis people can become victims of cancers and heart attacks and so the medical risks are not a good enough reason for me NOT to take testosterone. I'm thinking of the psychological effects of having to live with permanent changes to your body that you may not be all that happy about such as baldness in your 20s and excessive amounts of body hair while still looking female in body shape and in the face. I'm not sure how I feel about that

 

Well that's something you need to weigh up yourself.

I mean hormones aren't going to do a damned thing for most of me. I'm always going to be the same shape, unless someone gives me a new skeleton. But it will do some things that will make me feel more like the woman I am inside. If it gives me breasts, even tiny ones, it's better than no change at all, if it gives any minor change to my shape, it's a good thing.

It will never look 'perfect', but then even if I'd been born with the right parts I wouldn't look perfect. Nobody ever did and nobody ever will.

 

To be honest I don't want to look like THAT...

Ewww....

Also... What the fuck did I just read?

 

Don't read anything from Dirt, when trying to decide what to do or not to do regarding transition. She's known to be extremely transphobic, especially towards trans men, as someone else already stated. She is extremely rude and prejudice, so just disregard EVERYTHING she says. I mean, she says transition in general is disgusting and mutilating. She's just an asshole, who has some deep, deep, undeserved hatred towards trans people, especially trans men. If you want REAL facts about hormones, look for other sites, ones that are actually trans-friendly and not just giving one-sided opinions and lies to try to convince you NOT to do it by shaming you.

 

I also just saw this website a few days ago and found it to be rather insane. Clearly the person writing it neither understands nor values transgender experiences. Don't listen to people like that.

 

Gods, I would hope E wouldn't do that to me. LOL

 

Oh good lord. What the hell did I just read? Bunch of fear mongering crap.

"Don't go on T or, you know, you'll be an average looking guy with jaundice who rapes people"

 

I know, right!? WTH, very few men rape, cis or trans! And women can rape, too! The girl who wrote that article is just a man-hating psycho.

 

That site was unfortunately one of the first i came across while looking for info about transition. The one who runs it really hates trans people especially ftms, she's trys to make her site seem like its just providing info but you can tell by the wording and the false info that shes against trans people. She's a crazy radfem who takes pics from google of ftms and their surgery results and her and others make fun of them. Don't waste your time on that site it will just piss you off and she deletes any comments defending trans people.

 

Why should people even listen to advice about T if it wasn't written by a trans man or a healthcare professional? It all just looks like nonsense to me

 

Hi Anonym,

I think its important to take any argument no matter where it comes from at face value. I am the kind of person that would read something from the WBC or NARTH with an open mind. Usually, their stuff fails that particular test. But I really respect you for bringing an argument from a controversial source forward in a community that won't necessarily agree with you. That does take guts.

So that said, I do agree with everyone else here that that page does not have a lot of reliable info. I really don't want to waste any time addressing it directly, other people have done a better job of that than I can.

An argument you brought up though I think is worth exploring.

I was not offended by that in the least. And honestly, I think it has some truth to it. I think everyone who transitions really does need to go into things knowing exactly what they are getting into.

Women, cis or trans, have to worry about our bones. We become physically weaker when we swap out testosterone for estrogen. We have to play what I consider a harder game when it comes to getting ahead in our careers. We have to be very careful with our diets to avoid problems like breast cancer, and have to get mammograms regularly.

Men, cis or trans, have to worry about their hearts. They do lose their head hair over time and have to deal with the agism that comes with it. Both genders have challenges when it comes to social roles that can be very frustrating. Men have a lot of pressure on them from the inside in terms of their libido and adrenaline, and from social expectations, that they have to learn how to fight and control in order to be successful parts of society.

There are some differences with transsexuals. A trans man for instance will not have to worry about prostate cancer, but will probably eventually need a hysterectomy if they are on testosterone for a long time. But generally, each sex has its own set of problems.

So all that said, especially now that I have experienced both, I know I am definitely not kidding myself. I know being trans is basically trading one set of problems for another. The problems I am trading them for though - money, having to work twice as hard to keep my job, a lifetime obligation to take hormones, the joys of having my breasts squished between two plates one day - they're worth not having to be a man any more by itself. Being a woman on top of that is just pure profit.

I am basically trading internal problems which were handicapping me all the time, for social problems caused by people either not accepting me or not taking me seriously as an engineer and businesswoman. Social problems are problems I can fight. Mother nature I can't, not forever, and fighting those natural problems was causing social problems anyway.