Well, I never!

[Eves]

Ok, so, I just read about something.
Puberty blockers. PUBERTY BLOCKERS! Ye Gods....If only i'd known!
I started reading about girls with no breasts....guys with no facial hair...and my first thought was...well actually, my first thought was unrepeatable in polite company. My second thought was "why did I never find out about something like this?":eek:
As far as I, personally am concerned, my day just kinda got a little more dreary, since i have, unfortunately, passed puberty with flying colors. But, for other (younger) folks, I am so insanely happy! The absolute wonder of it all! :hugs:
>.>
</rant>

[Lorileah]

That seems sort of counter productive. What I believe TS's are looking for is the post-pubertal body. Blocking puberty without the follow up hormones would make you look, well pre-pubescent. Androgynous, sort of like a bad science fiction novel. In my mind I see slim, no curves, indistinguishable clones, but the fact is (at least in males as I don't know any culture who "castrated" females pre-pubertal) is a taller (sex hormones tell your body to stop growing,) chubby, smooth skinned ....uh...eunuch.

Maybe the idea is to delay puberty (we know that early onset puberty in women can lead to more breast and reproductive cancers). But I don't see how this is a breakthrough for transsexuals. If you are diagnosed with gender dysphoria early enough, and have the culture who would actually treat it that early, then I think instead of delaying puberty, they would start hormone therapy before the real hormones kicked in. Gonadectomy would be the treatment of choice then followed by HRT as needed

[Eves]

That seems sort of counter productive. What I believe TS's are looking for is the post-pubertal body. Blocking puberty without the follow up hormones would make you look, well pre-pubescent. Androgynous, sort of like a bad science fiction novel. In my mind I see slim, no curves, indistinguishable clones, but the fact is (at least in males as I don't know any culture who "castrated" females pre-pubertal) is a taller (sex hormones tell your body to stop growing,) chubby, smooth skinned ....uh...eunuch.

Maybe the idea is to delay puberty (we know that early onset puberty in women can lead to more breast and reproductive cancers). But I don't see how this is a breakthrough for transsexuals. If you are diagnosed with gender dysphoria early enough, and have the culture who would actually treat it that early, then I think instead of delaying puberty, they would start hormone therapy before the real hormones kicked in. Gonadectomy would be the treatment of choice then followed by HRT as needed

Well, actually, you're right...I explained it badly lol...
The blockers are taken at the very start of puberty, and then after a period of time (which i don't remember) they start recieving hrt. I believe the scientists working with the blockers are in the Netherlands.
As for the gonadectomy, for ftm at least, why do surgery before you have to, if you can take the blockers instead? Just my thoughts on it....

Also, wouldn't a gonadectomy do the same thing as the blockers as far as making people look pre-pubescent and strange? If hormones weren't taken, that is...

And my main reason for being excited over it is that it allows ftm's to not grow breasts....so that's less surgery. Then all they have to do is take hrt, and get bottom surgery if that's what they choose to do.

[Sammy777]

There is an up side to these and a good one.

They are used to, well duh, stop what it is you don't want to happen in girls and/or boys.

Used a lot to get a young ts more time.
They stop the bad for a while, then give them the good while blocking the bad so they go through the normal puberty of their mental gender.

Even if it happens a little later then in normal kids.

[Eves]

There is an up side to these and a good one.

They are used to, well duh, stop what it is you don't want to happen in girls and/or boys.

Used a lot to get a young ts more time.
They stop the bad for a while, then give them the good while blocking the bad so they go through the normal puberty of their mental gender.

Even if it happens a little later then in normal kids.

Thanks! You described it much better than I did. (Used fewer words too :P)
I just wish I'd known about this oh....10 years ago or so.

[StaceyJane]

When I was a teenager I wanted so much to be able to take female hormones and develope as a girl not a boy.

[Ze]

Yeah, Eves. (By the way, hi! :wave:) I was always under the impression that puberty blockers were meant for youngsters that definitely seemed to have the dysphoria, but were still too young for doctors to feel safe starting actual hormones treatments and surgery. So, in the meantime, they were meant to help kids not feel worse about themselves (by having puberty set in) and also making future changes to the body a bit easier. (Like the example you gave, chest surgery for FtMs is much easier then.)

I wish I'd been on them, too. :)