Transition

**Transition** is the process a transgender individual may undergo to align their gender expression with their gender identity. Transitioning can be medical, social, or both. While many transgender people choose to transition to some degree, it is highly individual and not accessible or desirable for everyone; medical transition is often harder to access, while social transition may be unsafe or unwanted. There is no defined state where one's transition is "complete" — it varies based on the individual's needs.

## Etymology

The word "transition" means "a change from one state or condition to another", and in a transgender context, it is used to refer to changes made to one's appearance and presentation.

## Transitioning

### Medical transition

Medical transition includes both gender affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), though many individuals choose to only pursue one or the other, or forego medical transition entirely.

For a transmasculine or transneutral individual (assigned female at birth), HRT involves taking testosterone. Changes associated with going on testosterone include thickening of the vocal cords and deepening of the voice, increased facial and body hair, increased lean mass and strength, decreased fat mass, increased sexual desire, loss of menstruation, and clitoral enlargement. Less desirable changes that may occur as a result of testosterone HRT include hair loss or alopecia, acne, reduced HDL cholesterol, increased triglycerides, and a potential increase in systolic blood pressure. Testosterone may be administered via intramuscular or subcutaneous injections, subcutaneous pellets, oral ingestion, or topical application using gels, creams, and patches.

Surgical procedures for transmasculine people include:

* Facial masculinization surgery, wherein the facial structure is altered to create a more masculine appearance.
* Hysterectomy, wherein the individual's uterus is partially or fully removed.
* Mastectomy (commonly known as "top surgery"), where breast tissue is removed, and the chest is reconstructed to appear more masculine.
* Metoidioplasty, wherein a small penis is constructed out of existing genital tissue (generally an enlarged clitoris, as a result of testosterone).
* Oophorectomy, wherein the individual's ovaries are removed.
* Phalloplasty, wherein a full-sized penis is constructed from tissue grafts and existing genital tissue.
* Salpingectomy, wherein the individual's fallopian tubes are removed.

For a transfeminine or transneutral individual (assigned male at birth), HRT includes taking estrogen and antiandrogens. Changes associated with going on estrogen include breast development, body fat redistribution, less growth of body and facial hair, and decreased muscle mass.

Surgical procedures for transfeminine people include:

* Breast augmentation (also known as transfeminine top surgery) where silicone breast implants or fat grafts from other parts of the body are used to increase the size of the breasts.
* Facial feminization surgery, wherein the facial structure is altered to create a more feminine appearance.
* Orchiectomy, wherein the testicles are removed.
* Vulvoplasty, wherein the outer parts of a vagina are constructed from the tissue and nerves of a penis, but no vaginal canal is constructed.
* Vaginoplasty, wherein the inside and outside of a vagina is constructed from the tissue and nerves of a penis.

### Social transition

Socially transitioning includes steps that transgender people take that are not medical to further their transition. This may involve coming out, changing ones pronouns or name, use of different bathrooms or changing rooms, legal steps to change gender markers, and changing aspects of gender expression such as clothes, hair, makeup, or body language.

## History

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## Controversy

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## Perceptions and discrimination

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## Media

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## Resources

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## References

1. ↑ "What do I need to know about transitioning?" (2022). plannedparenthood.org. Planned Parenthood.
2. ↑ Lopez, German: "Myth #5: All trans people medically transition" (November 14, 2018). vox.com. Vox.
3. ↑ Wilding, Grace: ""Not Transitioning Doesn't Make Me Any Less Trans": An Interview with Grace Wilding" (November 18, 2021). mygwork.com. My G Work.
4. ↑ Human Rights Campaign Foundation. *A Workplace Divided*. 2018. (web archive)
5. ↑ "Transition Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster". merriam-webster.com. Merriam-Webster.
6. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions about Transgender People" (July 9, 2016). transequality.org. "National Center for Transgender Equality.
7. ↑ Irwig, Michael: "Testosterone therapy for transgender men" (April 17, 2017). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Elsevier.
8. ↑ Boskey, Elizabeth: "Testorsterone for Transgender Men and Transmasculine People" (October 5, 2021). verywellhealth.com. verywellhealth.
9. ↑ "Facial Masculinization Surgery (FMS)" (October 14, 2021). ftmsurgery.net. FTMsurgery.net.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Hudson's Guide: FTM Hysterectomy and Oophorectomy" (July 19, 2010). ftmguide.org. FTMguide.org.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Top Surgery: What It Means" (2021-04-15). webmd.com. WebMD.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "Gender Affirmation Surgery, Salt Lake City" (2022). healthcare.uthah.edu. The University of Utah.
13. ↑ Heston, Aaron, Esmonde, Nick, Dugi III, Daniel, Urs Berli, Jen: "Phalloplasty: techniques and outcomes" (June, 2019). ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Translational Andrology and Urology.
14. ↑ James, Andrea: "Transgender salpingectomy". transgendermap.com. Transgender Map.
15. ↑ Boskey, Elizabeth: "Testosterone Blocker Options for Transgender Women" (September 17, 2021). verywellhealth.com. verywellhealth.
16. ↑ Tangpricha, Vin, & den Heijer, Martin: "Oestrogen and anti-androgen therapy for transgender women" (December 2, 2016). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Elsevier.
17. ↑ "Orchiectomy" (February 11, 2021). my.clevelandclinic.org. Cleveland Clinic.
18. ↑ "TransWhat? - Social transition". transwhat.org. TransWhat?.