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From: sunny@sun.uucp (Ms. Sunny Kirsten)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Sunny's  PMS comments
Message-ID: <2725@sun.uucp>
Date: Thu, 29-Aug-85 10:36:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: sun.2725
Posted: Thu Aug 29 10:36:15 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Aug-85 08:13:28 EDT
References: <4@decwrl.UUCP> <1845@mnetor.UUCP>
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 55

> In article <4@decwrl.UUCP> chabot@miles.DEC (All God's chillun got guns) writes:
> >
> >I've never heard of a female to male transsexual.  Transvestites, yes.
> 
> Well, I used to know a female to male transexual (I used to know her, but
> haven't seen him since the operation).  So there are transexuals in the
> other direction, though from what I have heard and read it is much more
> common to go male -> female rather than the other way.  I've often
> wondered why..
> -- 
> Sophie Quigley
> {allegra|decvax|ihnp4|linus|watmath}!utzoo!mnetor!sophie

There is very little understanding in both the psychological and medical
communities as to the exact process of creation of transsexuality, however,
it is known that all zygotes start out by default as female.  Unless a
specific series of differentiative events occurrs, a female is formed.  At
several different ages, specific developments must occur for a "real" male
to be created from the default female fetus.  Because of this, there is very
little room for error in the creation of a "real" female, but several stages
for failure in the creation of a "real" male.  Thus, if even one of the
differentiation stages fails for a male, we may wind up with a less than
"real" male, who has more female characteristics than male with respect to
the differentiation which "should" have occurred at that point.

The fetus responds in-utero to hormones in its differentiation.  Many kinds
of birth defects are known, perhaps an early propensity to transsexuality
is one of them.  It is known that in times past the medical profession used
to prescribe DES to prevent miscarriage... and it was later learned that
daughters of mothers who took DES had congenital defects.  Perhaps other
hormonal abnormalities in a mother may lead to problems in the formation of
a normal male.

Brain differentiation is based on hormone levels in the child, producing
visible differences in brain structure.  Even as an adult, the sex hormones
alter brain function.  Differences in bone structure (pelvic/hip) are also
observable at relatively early ages.  I developed a wide pelvis and a waist
very early, before I ever took female hormones.

It is believed that these are the reasons why there are so few female-to-male
transsexuals and relatively so many more male-to-female transsexuals.  The
development of my testicles was late, they were small, they didn't descend
until late.  I don't know exactly why, I've never had my hormone levels or
sperm count tested.  By now that's all moot.

As I described in an earlier article... gender identity is formed at age
1.5 to 2, and is permanent, unchangeable.  I've been taking female hormones
for almost 2 years now, and adjusting my body to match what my mind tells me
I am... a female.  Although I tried for many years, living as a male doesn't
work for me.  I don't know why.  My only option is adaption to my gender:
female.

				Sunny
-- 
{ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sun!sunny (Ms. Sunny Kirsten)