Transgender Men’s Health

What All Transmen Should Know

Photo by Jenny Hill on Unsplash

Notice: This piece will discuss a variety of health and medical terms, some of which transgender men will find uncomfortable. However, I’m using the accepted medical terminology for clarity.

There is an increasing amount of information online regarding transgender men and medical transition. However, there isn’t nearly as much regarding our health. It doesn’t help that there haven’t been any long-term studies on our health or the effects of taking hormones.

Still, there are a number of things we do know, and ways we can make sure we maintain our health.

Pelvic Exams

I’m going to address this one first, just to get it out of the way. I know this is a topic that many transgender men would prefer to avoid, because it can trigger anxiety or worse. However, unless you’ve had a hysterectomy, you still need to go in for an annual pelvic exam and pap smear.

While transgender men are often terrified of them, I know cisgender women also have no love of the pelvic exam. It’s an invasive procedure into one of the most intimate parts of our bodies. However, it’s still the best method for early detection of uterine, ovarian, or cervical cancer. It can also help detect possible signs of ovarian cysts, sexually transmitted infections, or uterine fibroids.

Also, establishing a relationship with a gynecologist can be helpful if you decide to have a hysterectomy in the future. Most often it’s a gynecologist who will perform this surgery, as they are more familiar with that part of our anatomy than a generalized surgeon. Working with a gynecologist, you know, and trust can make going through a surgery like that less frightening.

I know the thought of having a pelvic exam can be panic inducing for most transgender men, but it’s best for your health if you have regular exams. If the stress of one is too much, perhaps request a prescription for something to help you relax. I’ve been given Valium in the past, for procedures that cause me a lot of anxiety. I found taking something like that as an occasional one-off occurrence can help make the experience much less traumatic.

Breast Exams and Mammograms

Breast self-exams are another type of exam some transgender men avoid because of their dysphoria. However, it’s a reality that not all transgender men can have, or even want, top surgery. For some of us, the cost is out of reach, especially if we don’t have health insurance. For others, they would prefer to avoid surgery and are okay with simply wearing a binder to achieve a masculine chest. However, as long as you still have breasts, you’re at risk for breast cancer.

This is why, despite how uncomfortable it may make us, we need to perform monthly breast exams on ourselves. Early detection of breast cancer is key to beating it. This is a little bit of a morbid silver lining, but if you did develop breast cancer, you would have a medical need to remove your breasts that most insurance plans, including Medicaid, would cover. However, you still want to detect it early, so monthly self-exams are important.

For those of us who are older transgender men, if we haven’t had top surgery, once you’re over the age of 40, it’s important to start having mammograms. Trust me, no one who has breasts, men or women, enjoys getting a mammogram. They are humiliatingly uncomfortable, and if you’re like me, someone who had very dense breast tissue, they can be intolerably painful.

Still, up until I had top surgery, I gritted my teeth and bore it, because the idea of dying of breast cancer was more anxiety producing than dealing with the exam.

Heart Health

After talking to a lot of other transgender men online, I was surprised to find that many didn’t know that once they begin taking testosterone; they increase their risk of heart disease. Your cholesterol and especially your triglycerides can become elevated on testosterone. Also, your blood pressure could increase. So, make sure to check your triglycerides when you have your testosterone levels checked. Also, discuss your blood pressure with your doctor and make sure to keep an eye on that as well.

It is known that testosterone will redistribute your body fat. This means that instead of gaining weight on your hips and thighs, it will go straight to your belly instead. This is another risk factor for heart disease.

Regular exercise and a healthy diet are always good habits to get into but are even more important after you start taking testosterone. Right now, that’s the best way to reduce the potential health risks. Transitioning may be the best way to help alleviate the mental health problems associated with gender dysphoria, but make sure to take care of the rest of your body as well.

Weekly Progress Update

Weight on January 1, 2020: 182.6lbs

Current weight: 175.4lbs

Goal weight: 140lbs

Total steps last week: 31,209