Category Archives: Biology of transition

Migraine headaches, trans people, and hormone therapy

Posted on September 30, 2018 by Zinnia Jones

From age 3 or 4, which is as far back as I can remember, I experienced chronic, frequent migraine headaches, just as my mother and her father have had throughout their lives. These episodes of severe pain would often happen … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology of transition, Endocrinology, Health care | Tagged , | 1 Comment

New clinical findings from Dr. Will Powers: Role of estradiol/estrone ratio in the efficacy of feminizing HRT

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Zinnia Jones

(Epistemic status: Extremely tentative.) Dr. Will Powers, an HRT provider in Michigan who has possibly the coolest name ever, has recently posted a slideshow outlining findings from his practice on the most effective approaches to feminizing hormone therapy for trans … Continue reading →

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Your mileage may vary: Trans women and erectile function

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Zinnia Jones

One common question asked by trans women considering hormone therapy is how this may affect their ability to have penetrative sex. Antiandrogens and estrogen can impair erectile function, reducing spontaneous erections, responsiveness to sexual arousal, and nocturnal erections — an … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology of transition, Endocrinology, Sexuality | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Fractals, not pyramids: Why “8th grade biology” isn’t enough

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Zinnia Jones

Previously: Chromosomes: Cis expectations vs. trans reality, How sex hormones work, and their use by trans people In the years I’ve spent covering gender topics on YouTube, I’ve occasionally encountered one particularly strange objection to the core principle of transness, … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology of transition, Philosophy and language, Rhetoric | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

“We don’t let kids get tattoos”: Trans youth treatment, ethics, and decision-making

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Zinnia Jones

Previously: Transgender youth fact check, Debunking hypothetical arguments about youth transition In the public conversation over the use of puberty blockers for adolescents with gender dysphoria, those who object to this treatment often express concerns about the ability of these … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology of transition, Ethics, Outcomes of transition, Trans youth, Transgender medicine | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments