I am curious about transitioning(FTM)
I found an article about the health effects of hormone treatment:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/827713
Also, kind of off topic, but isn't this weird?
"At entry into the study (baseline), the most common comorbidity in both groups was depression, with a 24.9% incidence in MTF subjects and 13.6% in FTM, according to Dr. Asscheman. He noted, however, that the frequency of depression varied greatly among the study centers.
Even after treatment, 26 (2.4%) of the MTF subjects and 7 (1.4%) of the FTM subjects still reported depression, leading Dr. Asscheman to tell the large audience, "Sex-reassignment treatment does not cure depression.""
No, definitely not! Only in 90% of cases (which is better than Prozac or Zoloft, which help 55-70%).
It's really hard to get T without being sure, so the percentage of people who take T and regret it is very low (I don't have the statistics on hand, but I know I've seen proper studies showing this). If you're not sure now, that's okay. See if you can see a gender therapist and talk through options.
T really isn't as risky as it sounds when you just list all the side effects. Your levels will be carefully monitored and your doctor (and you) will be keeping an eye out for the more common issues so you can catch them and stop them before they become serious.
Good luck!
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Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 100 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 104 of 200
You seem to have both neurodiverse and neurotypical traits
Thyroplasty III fixes this. Speech therapy/voice coaching can only do so much - the surgery can produce natural sound. I don't think its the chest/neck/head as there are many cis men of comparable size with very low voices, more it is the restriction of the cartilage not allowing enough movement of the vocal cords. Thyroplasty removes the cartilage and allows the vocal cords to "drop" I'm told.
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Alexithymia - 147 points.
Low-Verbal.
My voice actually dropped lower than my dad's and my brother's after I started T, but one thing that makes a big difference is learning to speak from the chest instead of the throat. Also note how the voice is generally lower when relaxed, higher when stressed. It's not always easy to control it but it gets easier with practice.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/827713
Also, kind of off topic, but isn't this weird?
"At entry into the study (baseline), the most common comorbidity in both groups was depression, with a 24.9% incidence in MTF subjects and 13.6% in FTM, according to Dr. Asscheman. He noted, however, that the frequency of depression varied greatly among the study centers.
Even after treatment, 26 (2.4%) of the MTF subjects and 7 (1.4%) of the FTM subjects still reported depression, leading Dr. Asscheman to tell the large audience, "Sex-reassignment treatment does not cure depression.""
No, definitely not! Only in 90% of cases (which is better than Prozac or Zoloft, which help 55-70%).
Is this guy an endocrinologist? Even my first endo who was two years away from retirement knew that one of the traits or attributes that often develops in utero "opposite" expectations based on sex assigned at birth is...serotonin co-regulating receptors. Essentially, it means that many trans people's bodies can't quite adequately regulate serotonin with the sex hormone their body naturally produces, but do just fine with cross-hormone therapy. Often for the first time since puberty. Serotonin is our most basic regulatory hormone; when it is wonky, so is sleep, *mood*, appetite & thirst, immune & autoimmune and a few other basic systems.
That's why so many trans people report a "feeling of well being" and, "calmness" some time after starting hrt & why non-trans people given the same report everything feeling "wrong" and are recorded as having...increased depression. 90% is the sort of success rate that no one can really argue with. Weird he'd phrase it that way unless he was already biased?
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“For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.”
―Carl Sagan
If you are considering transition I strongly recommend getting professional advice ( and I mean from someone who has expertise in the area). This will a) help you determine if this path is right for you. b) help you cope with the process, which is tough for anybody, even NT's, and even if it is the right path. c) steer you to medically safe and appropriate medical treatment. This is safer than going it alone.
As for voice--my experience with myself and every other FTM I have known--once you have had good T levels for a year or two your voice will most likely be indistinguishable from a genetic male's of comparable body size. You may benefit from a voice coach to learn how men modulate their voices (which is not the same as how women do, at least in our culture).
I wish you success and happiness.