The visible man  | Commentary | Advocate.com

Advocate.com health Channel
||  Commentary  ||
Comments (0)Post a CommentTag this page  Page: 1 | 2
 
The visible man
Female-to-male transgender people find that supervised testosterone therapy can work wonders, although surgical choices are more complicated. Part 8 in our ongoing Transgender 101 series.
An Advocate.com exclusive posted July 10, 2006
The visible man

(Note: There are serious risks to any hormone therapy. It should not be undertaken in the absence of a knowledgeable doctor's ongoing supervision.)

If you have male gender identity and yet were born female-bodied, you may determine that testosterone therapy can be helpful in realizing your true physical self. Once on testosterone, my female-to-male friends report the same sense of well-being and harmony that my male-to-female friends experience on estrogen therapy. But the effects of the two hormones could not be more different.

For this column, to supplement my own observations, I have relied on the terrific book Becoming a Visible Man, written by one of the most visible FTM activists, Jamison Green.

As an FTM, within a few months of starting your testosterone therapy, your voice will drop irreversibly. In time you will also find hair growing in places where men normally have hair, both on your body and your face. And you may even find your hairline starting to recede. All of these are welcome developments—well, except for maybe the balding—that provide “gender clues” helpful to the general public in perceiving you as a male. You’re off to a good start.

There are some other effects of testosterone therapy that are less visible to the public but just as welcome. Most noticeably, your menstruation will stop. Menstruation served as an annoying monthly reminder of the incongruity between your body and your head, not to mention the incredible hassle with all those tampons or pads. Testosterone will also cause your body’s pores to enlarge, and that will make your skin feel appropriately rougher. Your body fat will redistribute to the stomach and away from the hips, so that symbolic beer gut can now be more easily achieved (although that’s not for everyone, of course).

Some effects of testosterone are not so welcome. One visible effect can be acne, even in older trans men. If a doctor is overseeing your hormone therapy, and hopefully that is the case, she or he can help control your acne. More significantly your LDL cholesterol level will likely increase, which will be enough to require cholesterol-reducing dietary habits, medication, or medical supervision for some.

An effect that seems to have surprised many of my FTM friends is the increase in sex drive and enjoyment. It’s not that they hadn’t expected or even desired the change; it’s just that it has been way more intense than they even imagined. Personally, as one who has gone the other direction, I’m delighted that sex is no longer my number one priority each day. Of course, I am wired “female,” and so it is now very clear how testosterone was tampering with my natural inclinations. It’s powerful stuff, believe me.

But testosterone does nothing about your breasts, which probably clash with your desired masculine appearance. Many FTMs bind their breasts to hide them, but this doesn’t help when your friends invite you to the beach. Binding is also terribly uncomfortable and can actually cause injury over time. Therefore, some choose “top surgery,” a special kind of mastectomy where your breast tissue is removed and your chest and nipples are contoured to create a male appearance. Depending on the procedure performed and your family history, you may still need to have periodic screenings for breast cancer. Unfortunately, many mammography labs, as well as the patients in their waiting rooms, have a way to go before they understand why you would want to be a patient.

Page: 1 | 2
Herman is the first transgender member of the boards of the Point Foundation, a scholarship lifeline for LGBT students, and of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, the New England LGBT legal rights organization that helped bring marriage equality to Massachusetts. She is also a member of the advisory board of the National Center for Transgender Equality. Find more information about these organizations at ThePointFoundation.org, Glad.org, and NCTEquality.org.
From the archives of The Advocate and Advocate.com

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Be the first to comment on this story.

Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

Comments that do not concern specific articles in The Advocate or on Advocate.com will not be posted or published. See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives
  • Building Bridges in the Wake of Prop. 8
    In the wake of finger-pointing following California's passing of Prop. 8, television writer and producer Tajamika Paxton suggests the time has come to build a bridge between the LGBT and African-American communities -- to engage in discussion rather than looking for somewhere to place blame.
  • Without Her We're Nothing
    The legendary Sandra Bernhard sits down with The Advocate before the one-night-only revival of her seminal one-woman show Without You I'm Nothing in Los Angeles to discuss Tori Amos, why Prop. 8 is "the best thing that could happen to the gay community," and how she she could possibly love both Rachel Maddow and Rachel Zoe.
  • Carmen Finds Her Spotlight
    It’s not very often that a lowly music critic gets the privilege of witnessing a glowing performance by a major new talent at the beginning of his or her career, but that is certainly what happened to yours truly on the evening of November 15 at the Los Angeles Opera. Viktoria Vizin, an astounding new mezzo-soprano making her L.A. Opera debut as Carmen this season, took my breath away.
  • Connecticut Gets Married
    This weekend, all 50 states participated in protests against the passing of antigay legislation in California, Arizona, Arkansas, and Florida. Gays and lesbians in Connecticut protested too, but they also had reason to celebrate. Last week, same-sex marriages got under way throughout the state.
  • Gay Is the New Black?
    In the wake of California’s passage of Proposition 8, protests are popping up around the country -- and so are comparisons between gays’ and African-Americans’ fights for equality. Is gay the new black? Michael Joseph Gross examines two struggles for civil rights. Plus: Photos from Wednesday night's rally in New York City.
  • The Day in Pictures
    From coast to coast, from gay to straight, from Pink to Mormon moms--a national movement to protest the passing of Prop. 8 in California rises up.
  • Smart Money
    In a time of economic calamity, one voice rises above the panic. Suze Orman is here to help -- she's offered her will and trust kit free to Advocate readers. Click the story for more info.
  • David Hyde Pierce is Gay, Married ... and Marching Against Prop. 8
    As Dr. Niles Crane on the hit sitcom Frasier, David Hyde Pierce had a great deadpan. That also extended to his own life: For years he wouldn’t confirm or deny being gay. Since then he thawed enough to thank his longtime partner, Brian Hargrove, in his 2007 Tony Award acceptance speech. And on Saturday, Pierce was one baseball-capped protester among maybe 20,000 others marching for equality in Los Angeles.
  • Gearing Up
    From Long Beach to Toronto, activists begin to prepare for a weekend of protest -- including the "Raging Grannies" in Palo Alto. See it all come together.
  • Best of Times, Worst of Times
    In the week after Barack Obama’s historic victory, gays and lesbians are pondering another historic, albeit less victorious, moment of their own. Three anti-gay marriage propositions passed -- in Florida, Arizona, and California. In Arkansas gay people were barred from adopting children. Now the real fight begins.
  • Revolution No. 8
    I've been waving a sign on street corners since H8 passed: "Black Queers." Responses have varied -- from honks of support to looks of disapproval from both blacks and whites. A black woman came up to me at a rally and asked me if I didn't think the sign was offensive to black people. I said, "It's who I am, and people should know."
  • You Can Never Go Home Again
    Eight years ago Advocate associate editor Neal Broverman packed up his car and moved from Connecticut to California to find freedom and acceptance. Now that marriage is legal in Connecticut, he's wondering if he ever should have left.
  • Prop. 8 Rally Takes Manhattan
    On the same day that the state of Connecticut began allowing same-sex marriages, thousands of New Yorkers gathered to protest the recent ruling in California taking away those same rights. Over 15,000 people gathered Wednesday night in protest of Proposition 8, the California ballot initiative that overturned a recent court ruling allowing same-sex marriage.
  • Calif. Senators Leno, Migden on Post-Prop. 8 Movement
    Forty-four California state senators and assembly members on Monday signed a friend-of-the-court brief to support lawsuits seeking to overturn Proposition 8, which voters passed last week, banning same-sex marriage. Senator-elect Mark Leno, author of the "only marriage equality bills to reach a governor's desk," and Sen. Carole Migden were among the petitioners.
  • London, 007 Style
    Bond has firmly swashbuckled into the 21st century in the form of hunky Daniel Craig, who is bursting onto screens in the brand-new Quantum of Solace. Although he's better known as a global jet-setter, James’s hometown of London holds many of the keys to his persona -- it's where he dressed, ate, slept, and had his hair done. Here’s your chance to swagger in his footsteps and imagine your travels are on Her Majesty’s Secret Service expense account.
  • Role Model
    Jack Mackenroth of Project Runway season 4 unveiled his new HIV/AIDS education campaign on Monday night at the Gay Men's Health Crisis Fashion Forward benefit in New York City. Called "Living Positive by Design" and sponsored by Merck and Co., the initiative seeks to combat the stigmatization of people living with HIV.
  • Gaga for the Lady
    Lady Gaga cavorts in couture. She only dons platinum wigs that suggest the presence of radioactivity. And she yells for you to dance, all in tribute to her favorite muse -- fame.
  • Terminated: Commercial Closet's Executive Director
    Since early this year, Commercial Closet Association has been in negotiations with GLAAD to dissolve into one advertising media program overseen by the larger nonprofit. But CCA founder Michael Wilke says he was supposed to join GLAAD in this new joint venture. Then on Monday, CCA's board announced the merger -- and Wilke's termination...which Wilke says took him completely by surprise. The board says that's hard to believe and that Wilke was told he'd been terminated November 4.
  • Side of Guac With Your Hate?
    L.A. eatery El Coyote, long known for attracting a heavily LGBT client base, is facing the heat now that bloggers have revealed one of the managers, who is a niece of the original owners, had donated to the pro-Proposition 8 campaign. El Coyote's answer: a free lunch/press conference giving her a forum to explain her decision. But the 70-some people in attendance were none too pleased with what they heard. Is a boycott the answer?