SF: Testosterone - ALL ABOUT IT!

T: ALL ABOUT IT!
Date/Time: Sunday, July 9, 1-4 pm
A workshop about testosterone
At the Center for Sex & Culture, 398 11th St., SF. $10-30 sliding
scale, no one turned away for lack of funds.

All About T is a workshop that provides an overview of the practical
aspects of testosterone use for female-to-male (FTM) transsexuals.
This workshop covers what every FTM—and anyone considering FTM
transition—should know about testosterone, covering types of T,
social misconceptions of T, administration methods of testosterone
administration, permanent and non-permanent changes, physical risks,
potential emotional and sexual-outlook changes, and more. The
workshop is also suitable for allies, sex educators, and
professionals who want a better understanding of
the hormonal aspects of FTM transition.

Workshop Background (by the instructor):

Through a search for information to guide my own transition, it came
to my attention how astonishingly little information is readily
available about testosterone for FTM transitioning. Equally
astonishing was how little the majority of transitioned FTMs know
about the use of testosterone—the potential risks, treatment
options, suggested medical monitoring, etc. I also became aware of
how many pre- or non-transitioned people were grappling with whether
or not to take testosterone—without the benefit of full information
about the risks and consequences of its use, both from a medical
perspective and for the implications for change in their everyday
lives. Adding to this situation, medical professionals
are often inadequately informed of the proper treatment methods for
FTM hormonal transition, and consequently, are frequently of little
help. Even for those health care providers who are relatively
informed, they are usually too short of time and too ill-equipped to
prepare their client for the physical and practical ramifications of
transitioning.

This presentation is an attempt to remedy that lack of information
about testosterone use for transitioning.

I have found that too much of the academic work on transgenderism
and transsexuality primarily focuses on theory, which neglects and
leaves invisible the day-to-day realities of trans lives. As a
result, an additional intention of this workshop is to offer a
glimpse into the practicalities of FTM transitioning, for those who
are not trans themselves, in the hopes that a deeper understanding
will allow allies to become even better allies. By giving this
workshop, I hope to build a bridge that begins to fill that gap of
understanding between theory and praxis.

Instructor Bio:

John Otto is nearing completion of a Masters in Library and
Information Science at the University of Washington. He has a BA
from The Evergreen State College in multidisciplinary gender/sex
studies. He has also taken additional coursework on transgenderism
at San Francisco State University, interned with the Intersex
Society of North American, and is active within the trans
community. This spring he presented "Addressing
the Information Needs of FTMs" at the first formal world conference
for professionals and anyone involved with GLBT archives, libraries,
museums and special collections, and collectors of GLBT materials.