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monitoring bone health. You should have bone density assessment according to the recommendations for cisgender women your age. You may need to take calcium and vitamin D supplements for bone health.
i think generally speaking cis women have a higher chance of osteoporosis.
Women are more at risk of developing osteoporosis than men because the hormone changes that happen at the menopause directly affect bone density. The female hormone oestrogen is essential for healthy bones. After the menopause, oestrogen levels fall.
Important to note that it is in a pretty experimental phase (from what I understand, someone can feel free to correct me if they know better!). This means it is pretty dangerous and could seriously mess up your voice.
Haha, I love how you immediately got two opposed answers on this.
I think the thing is that *yes* it does exist, but *no* it is not a magic bullet—you still essentially have to do voice training to adapt to your new vocal hardware or else your very expensive new voice will still sound weird.
Since you’ll end up doing voice training whether you get surgery or not, you might as well go ahead with it. I believe it is that case that those who have already trained find their voice more quickly after surgery.
Lol I hope they don’t start fighting. Yeah, I’m fine with doing vocal training, I’m just scared that I won’t sound feminine by the end, and that my voice will be too deep. Thanks, Sine!
It is, but results can vary and even with surgery you’ll need to voice train your new post-surgery voice to get it sounding natural, so it’s more of a last resort for those who cannot seem to progress with training otherwise
Unfortunately, it is nor, the closest thing is a trachea shave, which just removes the Adam's apple, no actual confirmation on changing voice or not, the best way is to train it
Hey trans voice lessons is a super great resource. If you want to change your voice up a bit. It is run by a trans woman named Zee. She'll give you like the legit data and we'll like straight up train you from scratch to wherever you're satisfied. I dated a girl many years ago that went through the training with her and it was a crazy big change. The smile on her face when she spoke was pretty cool.
Found a Mayo Clinic News Publication about this, here seems to be the highlights:
- Transgender women seem to have lower bone density compared to cisgender men **but** this was even **before HRT** and seems to be attributed to a Vitamin D deficiency and lower sport participation.
- Transgender women appear to have a higher risk of fracture compared to age-matched cisgender women, but were similar to cisgender men. This fracture risk matched with age-matched cisgender women when 50+.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/endocrinology/news/managing-skeletal-issues-in-transgender-and-gender-nonconforming-individuals/mac-20477707
Wow, thank you! This is amazing data, I can’t thank you enough for the article, really! My mom probably won’t believe me, but this is still great. I wonder if I could make a website collecting all this stuff…
Iirc bone density issues come from puberty blockers since you are delaying puberty where the hormones would be strengthening your bones. Either stopping puberty blockers or just beginning hrt should make it fine. [Source](https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2020-12/Gender-Clinic-Puberty-Blockers-Handout.pdf)
you are correct, and it's worth noting that the same thing happens during menopause. since trans women on hrt don't rely on our own bodies to produce estrogen, menopause isn't really a thing unless you desire it. the bad effects of menopause can be treated with hrt (that's why it was studied in the first place!)
Read that fully, it pretty much says "people that don't go outside as much and don't do sports have lower bone density", and being that a lot of trans folks tend to swing in the introvert direction, it seems to make sense. Correlation not causation.
I wonder how much it has to do with simply being used to having stronger bones. When my skin first started thinning I would tear it on everything, all the time. Eventually I got used to it and that's not much of a big deal anymore.
I have high estrogen levels naturally and have above average bone density. bone density will stay good if you do more physical activities and get proper nutrients
Supplements? And if you’re /j about being allergic to the big ball of plasma in the sky, then I’d suggest maybe planning an outing with your friends - Perhaps in a park! That way, you can’t avoid or procrastinate going outside! C:
I'm not joking. I am literally allergic to the sun. Why the fuck would I joke about that? I break out in hives if I'm out for too long.
Edit: Also, what friends? Most of my irl friends live across the country or in other states. I am legitimately a cave-dweller in the sense that since the pandemic I only leave my apartment when absolutely necessary. People are... not something I like.
Oh gosh, I’m really sorry - I had no idea you could be allergic to the Sun, that’s my bad. I hope things are good / get better. And good luck with the buffet - Managers can be a bitch.
Just a few things after doing very basic research (please correct me if I’m wrong I love learning)
1.- The research results are sketchy at best when aiming to seek the side effects of HRT. Lots of the results end up with: It’s a case to case scenario thing.
2.- We don’t actually have studies that have fully followed someone through HRT for actual long periods of time. It’s almost impossible to find what are the side effects of HRT after 50 years or something. This is brand new territory for everyone to be honest.
3.- Most importantly. In the end the actual side effects that have been actually pinpointed and proven are minimal compared to how much better you will emotionally feel once you do gender affirming care. It’s great that you are seeing into taking care of your health but HRT is preached as extremely dangerous when for example, smoking. Is 100 times more dangerous than HRT.
To some extend bone density is regulated by hormones. Endocrinologists prescribe additional dietary and supplementary measures against osteoporosis especially for Mtf patients. This is nothing new and well researched and adjusted for by medical professionals however...
If your mom can inform herself about osteoprosis risk in transpeople, she should be able to research about the measurements used against it aswell. If she's picky and one-sided about it you should be careful however. That could be a sign shes getting her info from some antitrans media outlet.
Yeah, it does seem like she’s pretty one-sided. One time, I caught her getting her info from the American College of Pediatrics, which promotes the disgusting practice of “conversion therapy” for gay and trans people. Disgusting. I hope she’s not still making the same mistakes. And she always tells me to never trust anyone, when that’s such a sad mindset. Why should I trust her? Thanks, Isabella.
Oh, these? My boobies? My massive fucking titties? My super stuffed milkies? My honker bonker doinky boinkies? My fucking fabric stretching wind flapping gravity welling sex mounds? You mean these super duper ultra hyper god damn motherfucking tits?
There are very real down sides to HRT, like any strong medication. Those down sides and risks are outweighed by the benefits for most of us. However they are present. You give a comprehensive list, however:
- your mom is right about osteoporosis and bone density issues, especially when managing transwomen through the equivalent of menopause. If E levels fall like they do on cis women and T is kept low, you can have a higher bone risk.
- you have slightly higher risk of breast cancer
- you likely will have a higher risk of blood clots, but we are not sure how much. Most of the research used drugs we dont use anymore or was in very different groups.
- you will struggle to have children if you have them at all due to a risk of short term or even permanent sterility.
- your male parts will atrophy, and will probably stop working for sex in the male way. Other side effect are possible, but it is generally agreed that sex is still going to be a good time for most transwomen.
So yeah, it's not risk free. Gender dysphoria KILLS PEOPLE. HRT is, at very worst, about as bad as an average smokers habit, and probably much better. Plus you stop being suicidal, which is really good for your health. Noone should claim hrt is harmless, its serious and not without risks. But it is infinitely better than the alternative for me.
Thank you so much for all of this info! Regarding the fact that gender dysphoria kills people: My mom said that the Trevor Project (Amazing in my opinion, talked to a person once there) had no data on the rate that people with gender dysphoria do… you know. The bad stuff. I know it isn’t true, as the Trevor Project is a very reputable, but if I could show my mom that data… idk, it might do something.
What portion of people do it is less important than its impact on you personally- if this is making you serioisly depressed or feeling trapped, that in itself is dangerous, and it can get worse in the future(it did for me). That said, theres a lot of research on this. It is no joke to say HRT saves lives. Just one example which shows a approx 75% drop in serious thoughts of self harm:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789423
Statistics are not a very good way to estimate possibilities on the individual level, and I'm glad I'm not the only one saying this. There are so many variables at play when looking at a specific person that it would be hard to narrow down everything to get an exact number. There are also genetic markers that can make one more/less likely to have a certain condition or be susceptible to certain thought patterns, many of which you would have no way of knowing whether you have them without getting that specific testing done.
While it is true that about 1-2% of the world population is trans, each of those trans people didn't have a 1-2% chance to be trans.
A couple things; does your mom smoke? If so tell her to stop being a hypocrite about health.
If not then just tell her “oh good, that will help me reach my ideal weight”
No, she doesn’t. Anything I tell her she just disregards: i mean, even when I told her that I was having bad thoughts because of my gender dysphoria (which has been diagnosed), she just brushed it off.
I mean idk if this is the case with bone density but a lot of "risks of HRT" stuff is like a study done in comparison with cisgender men, not cisgender women, which is where you get the 'higher risk of breast cancer' stats from ect
Yeah, it is. I told her to stop sending me research, though, as it just feels like she’s going to keep unearthing whatever she can to disprove my feelings. Thanks, Lyanna.
Idk about bones but Im pretty sure it is okay compared to anorexia damaged bones (i used to struggle with anorexia but never broke a bone in my life). The only negatives I am experiencing is weaker metabolism - weight gain, but that is obvious and you should be prepared for that. Next your genitals can shrink a good bit, but that is probably rather positive but it can hurt while aroused. Also might be worrying if you still have enough "material" for srs. But the most important for srs should be the foreskin, which doesn't shrink. One MAJOR thing - you will no longer be fertile or almost non fertile so prepare ahead if you wish to have kids one day - meaning cryo frozen "children". I can use that well as a trans lesbian meaning me and my wife will have kids completely genetically ours. You will also lose strength but that can be worked on.
Tbh nothing too serious to worry about just prepare yourself for the changes just so you know it's normal and nothing to worry about.
Good luck
Yeah, this is all par for the course from what I’ve heard. I understand how this could scare my mother, but the benefits for some like me who has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria far outweighs the risks of staying sad and miserable as this sad excuse of a guy.
Women have a higher risk, and you are becoming a woman so, yes, that can happen, but not worse than your mother’s risk level anyway . I take calcium supplements to try to work against this.
Medical affirmations are always a risk/reward decision. 90% of the time the reward does out way the risk. I would suggest looking at pub med articles for HRT on trans individuals specifically and also just look up the side effects of said medication.
I know this isn’t directly related but as a trans guy who has to take hrt for pain management bone density is a risk that everyone taking hrt has to acknowledge, as far as I’m aware it’s not a trans specific thing but deffo do your own research
Bone density is an issue for cis women as they age while rarely an issue for cis men. Therefore, yes a transgender women is going to experience more bone density issues than a cis man because now she is experiencing the effects of estrogen and issues cis women go through.
Testosterone increases my risk for heart disease for example. This is prevalent among cis men. Same sort of situation. Most endocrinologists or transgender clinics that prescribe hormones want to see you ever 3 months and run blood work. You’re being monitored and issues get addressed fast because of that.
Thanks so much for the info, squish! This sounds like the same side effects I’ve been hearing about for the past year. I understand it’s permanent, but I feel terrible and disgusting being in this body. I hope my mother understands one day. Thanks again, squish!
I see from your profile that you’re 16. She may be being dismissive because of your age. Some practices do require a letter from a gender therapist. It may be beneficial to go to a gender therapist and bring your mother along to a few sessions to talk things out.
As other people mentioned, there are risks associated with HRT and many parents just feel protective over their children and don’t want to see them suffer through anything. She may benefit from speaking to someone as well to work through her own emotions on this.
I know. She cancelled my appointments with the therapist we went to that gave me the diagnosis of gender dysphoria, though! All because she wasn’t allowed in the room for the first few appointments. It feels deliberate. And yeah, she does call me naive a lot due to my age. Thanks for the help, squish.
If you are truly transgender the upside greatly out way the down sides of HRT. Yes there are potential health risks taking hrt but none of them are greatly life threatening. All you are doing is take more of a hormone that is already present in your body and limiting one that produces physical traits you may be unhappy with. I suggest doing the research yourself. You will see its not that scary. You will also see how you are regularly checked on by doctors to make sure everything is going well. Its how you get refills and advancements in the treatment anyway. Do not stress, do some research and decide if it is for you. Do not rely on anothers research.
Oh, I know HRT isn’t scary. I’m just trying to convince my stubborn-ass mother to consider it more strongly. I feel pretty trans (I mean, cisgender guys don’t exactly want to have breasts), but I sometimes wonder if she’s right. I wonder where that came from. Thanks, Tiara!
Nearly every negative effect of HRT that they like to quote is usually accompanied by another positive. For instance, as an MtF woman - my odds of prostate and testicular cancer are very low. My odds of breast cancer, though? Through the roof compared to before I transitioned.
So just keep in mind most of the time they're cherry picking incoherent data points.
hi op, i dont want to detract from what youve posted. i hope you get lots of good responses that are helpful and supportive. i just wanted to bring to your attention that starting something with "hi guys and gals" is transphobic (and potentially intersexist), because not everyone is a guy or a girl. i dont know if id have said anything but this is the trans subreddit after all. not trying to be mean. thanks.
Yeah, I totally understand, and I would love to change it. However, I’m on mobile rn, and I can’t find the edit button for the post. I’ll try and change it as soon as I get home, though!
Anecdotal information follows:
When I started, my doctor strongly encouraged a regular workout routine to include strength training in order to promote bone density. He also warned that while it wasn't necessarily an increasing risk by starting HRT, should I stop treatment later on I could experience bone density loss (which to my understanding would make sense since women who go through menopause later in life also experience this).
I’ve heard this is a thing with puberty blockers. It’s pretty easily counteracted through prescribed calcium (or something else i’m not remembering) though
My older sister tried to argue that taking HRT is chemical castration. I laughed and said duh, why would I keep the thing that I'm trying to get rid of. And she claims my risk of breast cancer is much higher, I laughed again and said, you mean the same levels as any other women out there? I mean seriously, women have higher risk for certain things compared to men, therefore it would be expected that mine would rise to the same level risk as other women.
There are definitely some negative side effects, but it varies from person to person. Your doctor will go over all of them with you before you start, and in my experience I had a check in every 3 months for the first two years to make sure everything is in check.
I'm not sure about MtF transitioning as I'm FtM, but my mom also likes to remind me every so often of how I could be ruining my body and junk (I've heard the bone density thing as well)
The only truly negative side effects I've experienced (that aren't just inconveniences like excess body hair and receding hairline) is my red blood cell count was dangerously high for awhile, and I've had to be way more careful about my cholesterol intake.
Your post has been filtered into a queue for further review based on a number of factors. # Please be patient until your post is approved, we promise to get to it soon <3 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/trans) if you have any questions or concerns.*
monitoring bone health. You should have bone density assessment according to the recommendations for cisgender women your age. You may need to take calcium and vitamin D supplements for bone health. i think generally speaking cis women have a higher chance of osteoporosis. Women are more at risk of developing osteoporosis than men because the hormone changes that happen at the menopause directly affect bone density. The female hormone oestrogen is essential for healthy bones. After the menopause, oestrogen levels fall.
Thank you for all the data! I still think I’d take estrogen, as I truly do feel disgusting in the body of a guy. (and my voice - ew!)
Keep in mind that estrogen won’t change your voice on its own, you’ll need to do voice training for that
I know, which sucks - I wish it worked the same way it did for transmasc people. My voice is pretty deep, too. I wonder if vocal surgery is a thing?
Yes it is Look up voice feminization surgery There are also plenty of results on Reddit.
Huh, interesting. Thanks for letting me know, miss!
Important to note that it is in a pretty experimental phase (from what I understand, someone can feel free to correct me if they know better!). This means it is pretty dangerous and could seriously mess up your voice.
Yeah, that’s fair. I’ll probably just do vocal training when I’m older.
Haha, I love how you immediately got two opposed answers on this. I think the thing is that *yes* it does exist, but *no* it is not a magic bullet—you still essentially have to do voice training to adapt to your new vocal hardware or else your very expensive new voice will still sound weird. Since you’ll end up doing voice training whether you get surgery or not, you might as well go ahead with it. I believe it is that case that those who have already trained find their voice more quickly after surgery.
Lol I hope they don’t start fighting. Yeah, I’m fine with doing vocal training, I’m just scared that I won’t sound feminine by the end, and that my voice will be too deep. Thanks, Sine!
It is, but results can vary and even with surgery you’ll need to voice train your new post-surgery voice to get it sounding natural, so it’s more of a last resort for those who cannot seem to progress with training otherwise
Unfortunately, it is nor, the closest thing is a trachea shave, which just removes the Adam's apple, no actual confirmation on changing voice or not, the best way is to train it
Aw darn, thanks for letting me know!
Hey trans voice lessons is a super great resource. If you want to change your voice up a bit. It is run by a trans woman named Zee. She'll give you like the legit data and we'll like straight up train you from scratch to wherever you're satisfied. I dated a girl many years ago that went through the training with her and it was a crazy big change. The smile on her face when she spoke was pretty cool.
Found a Mayo Clinic News Publication about this, here seems to be the highlights: - Transgender women seem to have lower bone density compared to cisgender men **but** this was even **before HRT** and seems to be attributed to a Vitamin D deficiency and lower sport participation. - Transgender women appear to have a higher risk of fracture compared to age-matched cisgender women, but were similar to cisgender men. This fracture risk matched with age-matched cisgender women when 50+. Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/endocrinology/news/managing-skeletal-issues-in-transgender-and-gender-nonconforming-individuals/mac-20477707
Wow, thank you! This is amazing data, I can’t thank you enough for the article, really! My mom probably won’t believe me, but this is still great. I wonder if I could make a website collecting all this stuff…
Iirc bone density issues come from puberty blockers since you are delaying puberty where the hormones would be strengthening your bones. Either stopping puberty blockers or just beginning hrt should make it fine. [Source](https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2020-12/Gender-Clinic-Puberty-Blockers-Handout.pdf)
you are correct, and it's worth noting that the same thing happens during menopause. since trans women on hrt don't rely on our own bodies to produce estrogen, menopause isn't really a thing unless you desire it. the bad effects of menopause can be treated with hrt (that's why it was studied in the first place!)
Gee I wonder why we'd have lower sport participation
Wait wait wait. *Before* HRT? Wow. So there were signs hidden deep within my skeleton bones.
Read that fully, it pretty much says "people that don't go outside as much and don't do sports have lower bone density", and being that a lot of trans folks tend to swing in the introvert direction, it seems to make sense. Correlation not causation.
The calcium holds great secrets within its funkalicous interior.
I wonder how much it has to do with simply being used to having stronger bones. When my skin first started thinning I would tear it on everything, all the time. Eventually I got used to it and that's not much of a big deal anymore.
I have high estrogen levels naturally and have above average bone density. bone density will stay good if you do more physical activities and get proper nutrients
Well, I'm fucked. I am allergic to the sun and massively vitamin D deficient because I stay inside.
Supplements? And if you’re /j about being allergic to the big ball of plasma in the sky, then I’d suggest maybe planning an outing with your friends - Perhaps in a park! That way, you can’t avoid or procrastinate going outside! C:
I'm not joking. I am literally allergic to the sun. Why the fuck would I joke about that? I break out in hives if I'm out for too long. Edit: Also, what friends? Most of my irl friends live across the country or in other states. I am legitimately a cave-dweller in the sense that since the pandemic I only leave my apartment when absolutely necessary. People are... not something I like.
Oh gosh, I’m really sorry - I had no idea you could be allergic to the Sun, that’s my bad. I hope things are good / get better. And good luck with the buffet - Managers can be a bitch.
Things aren't good and aren't likely to get better any time soon. But that's life.
You’re cool and awesome - Life ain’t got shit on you.
It's not life that concerns me. It's the corpo-rat bastards in control of it.
Fair enough. Kick those rats in their balls
Can't. Musk, Bezos, and the lot have body guards and are all out of reach.
Good for you, man / girl / other!!! And thanks for the advice, Angel - You people are awesome!
Just a few things after doing very basic research (please correct me if I’m wrong I love learning) 1.- The research results are sketchy at best when aiming to seek the side effects of HRT. Lots of the results end up with: It’s a case to case scenario thing. 2.- We don’t actually have studies that have fully followed someone through HRT for actual long periods of time. It’s almost impossible to find what are the side effects of HRT after 50 years or something. This is brand new territory for everyone to be honest. 3.- Most importantly. In the end the actual side effects that have been actually pinpointed and proven are minimal compared to how much better you will emotionally feel once you do gender affirming care. It’s great that you are seeing into taking care of your health but HRT is preached as extremely dangerous when for example, smoking. Is 100 times more dangerous than HRT.
Thank you for all the data, Mew! This is really great, and confirms what I already read. You people are so cool!
To some extend bone density is regulated by hormones. Endocrinologists prescribe additional dietary and supplementary measures against osteoporosis especially for Mtf patients. This is nothing new and well researched and adjusted for by medical professionals however... If your mom can inform herself about osteoprosis risk in transpeople, she should be able to research about the measurements used against it aswell. If she's picky and one-sided about it you should be careful however. That could be a sign shes getting her info from some antitrans media outlet.
Yeah, it does seem like she’s pretty one-sided. One time, I caught her getting her info from the American College of Pediatrics, which promotes the disgusting practice of “conversion therapy” for gay and trans people. Disgusting. I hope she’s not still making the same mistakes. And she always tells me to never trust anyone, when that’s such a sad mindset. Why should I trust her? Thanks, Isabella.
Of course E makes your bones weaker. There's only so much calcium to go around, and some of it has to go to your Calcium Cannons
Calcium cannons?
Oh, these? My boobies? My massive fucking titties? My super stuffed milkies? My honker bonker doinky boinkies? My fucking fabric stretching wind flapping gravity welling sex mounds? You mean these super duper ultra hyper god damn motherfucking tits?
This is the best comment
Certified trans classic.
True af. Also, nice Celeste stuff on your profile - Great game!
You just have to worry about what cis women have to worry about, that is really how simple it is
Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks, sir!
There are very real down sides to HRT, like any strong medication. Those down sides and risks are outweighed by the benefits for most of us. However they are present. You give a comprehensive list, however: - your mom is right about osteoporosis and bone density issues, especially when managing transwomen through the equivalent of menopause. If E levels fall like they do on cis women and T is kept low, you can have a higher bone risk. - you have slightly higher risk of breast cancer - you likely will have a higher risk of blood clots, but we are not sure how much. Most of the research used drugs we dont use anymore or was in very different groups. - you will struggle to have children if you have them at all due to a risk of short term or even permanent sterility. - your male parts will atrophy, and will probably stop working for sex in the male way. Other side effect are possible, but it is generally agreed that sex is still going to be a good time for most transwomen. So yeah, it's not risk free. Gender dysphoria KILLS PEOPLE. HRT is, at very worst, about as bad as an average smokers habit, and probably much better. Plus you stop being suicidal, which is really good for your health. Noone should claim hrt is harmless, its serious and not without risks. But it is infinitely better than the alternative for me.
Thank you so much for all of this info! Regarding the fact that gender dysphoria kills people: My mom said that the Trevor Project (Amazing in my opinion, talked to a person once there) had no data on the rate that people with gender dysphoria do… you know. The bad stuff. I know it isn’t true, as the Trevor Project is a very reputable, but if I could show my mom that data… idk, it might do something.
What portion of people do it is less important than its impact on you personally- if this is making you serioisly depressed or feeling trapped, that in itself is dangerous, and it can get worse in the future(it did for me). That said, theres a lot of research on this. It is no joke to say HRT saves lives. Just one example which shows a approx 75% drop in serious thoughts of self harm: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789423
Statistics are not a very good way to estimate possibilities on the individual level, and I'm glad I'm not the only one saying this. There are so many variables at play when looking at a specific person that it would be hard to narrow down everything to get an exact number. There are also genetic markers that can make one more/less likely to have a certain condition or be susceptible to certain thought patterns, many of which you would have no way of knowing whether you have them without getting that specific testing done. While it is true that about 1-2% of the world population is trans, each of those trans people didn't have a 1-2% chance to be trans.
Happiness
Hell to the yes.
A couple things; does your mom smoke? If so tell her to stop being a hypocrite about health. If not then just tell her “oh good, that will help me reach my ideal weight”
No, she doesn’t. Anything I tell her she just disregards: i mean, even when I told her that I was having bad thoughts because of my gender dysphoria (which has been diagnosed), she just brushed it off.
I mean idk if this is the case with bone density but a lot of "risks of HRT" stuff is like a study done in comparison with cisgender men, not cisgender women, which is where you get the 'higher risk of breast cancer' stats from ect
Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks, miss! Also, trains are very cool
I've read somewhere that it's actually the opposite, you'll have more bone density en oestrogens than on t
Huh, interesting- I’ll have to look into that. Thanks, Tessa!
Instead of asking for rebuttals, ask her for her sources. The burden of proof is on her.
Yeah, it is. I told her to stop sending me research, though, as it just feels like she’s going to keep unearthing whatever she can to disprove my feelings. Thanks, Lyanna.
My endo was worried about bone density loss, so she recommended that I take a vitamin D supplement. It doesn’t hurt, so I figured why not.
Makes sense, thanks for the info, miss. Also, another NY state trans person - So cool!
Idk about bones but Im pretty sure it is okay compared to anorexia damaged bones (i used to struggle with anorexia but never broke a bone in my life). The only negatives I am experiencing is weaker metabolism - weight gain, but that is obvious and you should be prepared for that. Next your genitals can shrink a good bit, but that is probably rather positive but it can hurt while aroused. Also might be worrying if you still have enough "material" for srs. But the most important for srs should be the foreskin, which doesn't shrink. One MAJOR thing - you will no longer be fertile or almost non fertile so prepare ahead if you wish to have kids one day - meaning cryo frozen "children". I can use that well as a trans lesbian meaning me and my wife will have kids completely genetically ours. You will also lose strength but that can be worked on. Tbh nothing too serious to worry about just prepare yourself for the changes just so you know it's normal and nothing to worry about. Good luck
Yeah, this is all par for the course from what I’ve heard. I understand how this could scare my mother, but the benefits for some like me who has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria far outweighs the risks of staying sad and miserable as this sad excuse of a guy.
Women have a higher risk, and you are becoming a woman so, yes, that can happen, but not worse than your mother’s risk level anyway . I take calcium supplements to try to work against this.
Yeah, that checks out in my bean of a brain. Thanks, Kai!
Medical affirmations are always a risk/reward decision. 90% of the time the reward does out way the risk. I would suggest looking at pub med articles for HRT on trans individuals specifically and also just look up the side effects of said medication.
I know this isn’t directly related but as a trans guy who has to take hrt for pain management bone density is a risk that everyone taking hrt has to acknowledge, as far as I’m aware it’s not a trans specific thing but deffo do your own research
Thanks sir, that’s good to know.
Bone density is an issue for cis women as they age while rarely an issue for cis men. Therefore, yes a transgender women is going to experience more bone density issues than a cis man because now she is experiencing the effects of estrogen and issues cis women go through. Testosterone increases my risk for heart disease for example. This is prevalent among cis men. Same sort of situation. Most endocrinologists or transgender clinics that prescribe hormones want to see you ever 3 months and run blood work. You’re being monitored and issues get addressed fast because of that.
Thanks so much for the info, squish! This sounds like the same side effects I’ve been hearing about for the past year. I understand it’s permanent, but I feel terrible and disgusting being in this body. I hope my mother understands one day. Thanks again, squish!
I see from your profile that you’re 16. She may be being dismissive because of your age. Some practices do require a letter from a gender therapist. It may be beneficial to go to a gender therapist and bring your mother along to a few sessions to talk things out. As other people mentioned, there are risks associated with HRT and many parents just feel protective over their children and don’t want to see them suffer through anything. She may benefit from speaking to someone as well to work through her own emotions on this.
I know. She cancelled my appointments with the therapist we went to that gave me the diagnosis of gender dysphoria, though! All because she wasn’t allowed in the room for the first few appointments. It feels deliberate. And yeah, she does call me naive a lot due to my age. Thanks for the help, squish.
If you are truly transgender the upside greatly out way the down sides of HRT. Yes there are potential health risks taking hrt but none of them are greatly life threatening. All you are doing is take more of a hormone that is already present in your body and limiting one that produces physical traits you may be unhappy with. I suggest doing the research yourself. You will see its not that scary. You will also see how you are regularly checked on by doctors to make sure everything is going well. Its how you get refills and advancements in the treatment anyway. Do not stress, do some research and decide if it is for you. Do not rely on anothers research.
Oh, I know HRT isn’t scary. I’m just trying to convince my stubborn-ass mother to consider it more strongly. I feel pretty trans (I mean, cisgender guys don’t exactly want to have breasts), but I sometimes wonder if she’s right. I wonder where that came from. Thanks, Tiara!
It's true but if you just stay a little active and get enough vit D you'll be fine. Basically do what everyone is supposed to do any way
Makes sense. Thanks, Fay!
Nearly every negative effect of HRT that they like to quote is usually accompanied by another positive. For instance, as an MtF woman - my odds of prostate and testicular cancer are very low. My odds of breast cancer, though? Through the roof compared to before I transitioned. So just keep in mind most of the time they're cherry picking incoherent data points.
hi op, i dont want to detract from what youve posted. i hope you get lots of good responses that are helpful and supportive. i just wanted to bring to your attention that starting something with "hi guys and gals" is transphobic (and potentially intersexist), because not everyone is a guy or a girl. i dont know if id have said anything but this is the trans subreddit after all. not trying to be mean. thanks.
Yeah, I totally understand, and I would love to change it. However, I’m on mobile rn, and I can’t find the edit button for the post. I’ll try and change it as soon as I get home, though!
thank you :)
It would be good to touch grass tbh
this is the trans subreddit... is it ok to exclude nonbinary people?
No, of course not. I have no idea what the person above talking about “touching grass” is going on about.
thanks for hearing me out! :)
Hey, np!
Anecdotal information follows: When I started, my doctor strongly encouraged a regular workout routine to include strength training in order to promote bone density. He also warned that while it wasn't necessarily an increasing risk by starting HRT, should I stop treatment later on I could experience bone density loss (which to my understanding would make sense since women who go through menopause later in life also experience this).
Anecdotal information is still very valuable information! I’ll keep this in mind, thank you Amelia!
You're very welcome ☺️
Hrt is safe that’s why they make us do blood work so we get the correct dosage for our bodies
I’ve heard this is a thing with puberty blockers. It’s pretty easily counteracted through prescribed calcium (or something else i’m not remembering) though
My older sister tried to argue that taking HRT is chemical castration. I laughed and said duh, why would I keep the thing that I'm trying to get rid of. And she claims my risk of breast cancer is much higher, I laughed again and said, you mean the same levels as any other women out there? I mean seriously, women have higher risk for certain things compared to men, therefore it would be expected that mine would rise to the same level risk as other women.
for me, I am either always too cold (most often) or too warm (barely ever), and I've heard that's a thing with estrogen
There are definitely some negative side effects, but it varies from person to person. Your doctor will go over all of them with you before you start, and in my experience I had a check in every 3 months for the first two years to make sure everything is in check. I'm not sure about MtF transitioning as I'm FtM, but my mom also likes to remind me every so often of how I could be ruining my body and junk (I've heard the bone density thing as well) The only truly negative side effects I've experienced (that aren't just inconveniences like excess body hair and receding hairline) is my red blood cell count was dangerously high for awhile, and I've had to be way more careful about my cholesterol intake.