Oh, I’ll have to see if I get F/X (it’s not listed in my TV page).
Do MTF transexuals get yeast infections? more frequently than someone who is born a woman? And how do transexuals prevent it?
Someone born with a vagina, also has glands that secrete fluid that lubricates/cleans the vagina, keeps the PH acidic, and kills most bacteria and microbes that otherwise might cause problems.
A natural vagina also has lots of lymphocytes nd neutrophils.
Mucus is in a natural vagina from the glands of the uterine cervix. Natural vaginal epithelium synthesizes and accumulates glycogen, a man/doctor made vagina does not.
If one is not born with a vagina, and has one made by a doctor from just plain ole surface stratified squamous epithelial skin(scrotum, etc) which does not secrete any fluid like it does with a natural one, what internal problems does this cause?
Although I am in the medical profession, I am afraid I am clueless to understand how a man/doctor made vagina is able to ward off harmfull microbes since it has none of the natural defenses usually found in a natural vagina
I happened to notice the read-count vs. the post-count in this thread and it occurs to me that the transsexual people who have been kind enough to respond in this thread must be thinking there are an awful lot of voyeuristic Dopers. So, I just wanted to say that I have been reading this thread and I find it fascinating and very educational - there’s a lot I didn’t know and that I would be too scared to ask.
I also wanted to mention, in case I didn’t elsewhere, that Broomstick rocks. Wonderful, thoughtful posts in here from everyone, but hers are making things much more understandable for me.
Excellent point, you are , of course , quite right.
It was not only doctors, but everyone was saying that it was psychological and not physical, Ann Landers, Joyce Brothers, etc.
Thousands of men went to psychologists over the decades, when all they really had to do was to take Viagra. Many people today say the same thing about homosexuals and transexuals, that it is all in their minds and not physical, not something people are born with.
Undoubtedly, transexualism is also caused by something biologically physical, we just havent found the exact cause yet, and I dont believe too many scientists are actually looking very hard to find something physical - a few maybe, but not many, and I dont think the drug companies are interested either, not much if any profit if they were to find a cause or treatment.
Hi Susanann, I’m hoping that Eve or KellyM may be able to answer this for you, but I can’t think of any particular reason why transsexual women would be more likely to get yeast infections than any other women, and in fact would it not be less likely as the Candida sp. don’t especially enjoy living on non-mucosal surfaces? I’m not entirely sure, most of the yeast infections I deal with are in ears and are a different species.
Also, for interest’s sake, not all neovaginas are constructed solely of penile tissue/skin. A friend of mine had a bit of intestine used in hers as there wasn’t enough tissue in her penis to create the length that was needed. She thinks it’s great because, due to the mucous glands in the piece of gut, she now has a “self-saucing pudding” (her words, not mine).
What s/he said.
All body cavities that have openings to the surface , all are mucosal for a purpose, to defend against microbes, infections, bacteria, fungus, etc.
By creating a new body opening(a vaginal canal) using only surface skin, you now have an (only) opening which has no defenses against foreign invasion.
Susanann, I was under the impression that this surgically-created vagina was really more like a tube closed on one end. If it does not open into the body cavity in any way, I wouldn’t think it would present much of a problem other than requiring cleansing on occasion. (If one was made with some mucosal tissue from elsewhere, it could presumably handle that task on its own.)
I think at least one surgeon uses some of the salvaged urethal mucosa to provide a source of (minimal) natural lubrication.
I’ve never heard of a problem with unusually frequent yeast infections in post-op women.
Thanks for the kudos, folks, but I feel a little awkward - I’m just a normal, het gal trying to understand. Most of what I learned about transexuals has been from the SD so the credit really should go to folks like Eve, KellyM, and Phraser
Be that as it may, Broomstick - you’ve been extremely objective, concise and sensitive in your posts here.
Phrasr, in the movie Southern Comfort, (http://www.nextwavefilms.com/southern/) the FTM who was the focus of the movie died of ovarian (I think) cancer because no doctor would treat him. Where do you live, and do you have a GYN who knows who you are and the pitfalls an FTM can run into when dealing with the girly parts?
Ha-ha-ha. I don’t have an ob-gyn, and my GP knows less about my condition than I do.
I do not wish to get into any details—I’m sure you will all excuse me. But I do remember one story from years ago: I’d thought I had cystitis, but my doctor found it was a prostate infection. I thought that was hilarious, which led to him shaking his finger at me and scolding, “A prostate infection is nothing to laugh at, young lady!”
Sorry, I find that story very amusing Eve!
(and don’t worry about not wanting to share details. I understand and I’m sure others do as well)
(snort!) That’s hilarious!
My GP did not seem the least bit fazed when the course of a general physical he had to go from doing a breast exam to checking for an inguinal hernia. Then again, he wasn’t fazed when Loren had her first period at six days, either.
Do transexuals usually know what’s going on with themselves from an early age? I ask because my 9 year old stepdaughter is very tomboyish, and her mother and (paternal) aunt find this very upsetting. She doesn’t like dresses, things that are frilly or lacy, Barbies, or that type of thing. She likes things like dinosaurs, legos, cars, etc. I think this type of thing is perfectly fine, despite the hysterics other women in her family have over it. I never liked those pinky, frilly sorts of things either as a child, although I was more bookish than tomboyish. I try to present an attitude of “It’s perfectly fine for girls to not like pink, frilly Barbie stuff, and it’s wonderful for girls to like science and cars and planes, or whatever.” The tomboyish stuff isn’t what makes me wonder if she might be a transexual, though–it’s when says things like “I don’t want to be a girl”, and “I wish someone could make me into a boy.” I’m not sure if this is a real true desire to be the opposite gender, or perhaps just a statement to shock people (which would be very much something she’d do. She’s a very messed up kid apart from any gender identity issues. She’s been diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and ADHD. We are thinking that her behavior also points toward Bipolar, instead or additionally. She’s still being worked up for an appropriate course of medication and treatment.) I also wonder if it’s just a rebellion against her mother shoving pinky, frilly Barbie-crap down her throat her whole life, and not caring that she has no interest in those things. Her mother tries to blame it all on her dad by saying he’s trying to make her into a boy. By which she apparently means he won’t shove Barbie down her throat but instead lets her pursue things she’s actually interested in. Does it sound like she’s going to want to live as/become a man someday? It doesn’t really bother me–anything that would help this child adjust better would be great in my book. But perhaps it’s easier for me to accept since she’s not my child. Dad is kind of in denial at the moment, but I’m sure he would come around if she were still saying “I want to be male” when she was an adult. To people who have been there, does this sounds as if she’s transgendered?
MinniePurl, it’s not uncommon for transsexuals to realize they’re transsexual at an early age.
I won’t offer an opinion on your stepchild; it would be the height of stupidity to assume that I can diagnose gender dysphoria based on a third party account. All I can say that it’s possible.
Oh, I realize that she can’t be diagnose on a message board. I was more just wondering, for transsexual people, does this seem similar to your childhood experience, or not? I don’t know anyone well who has ever had to deal with this sort of issue.
She may be; she may not be. I knew I was a girl as early as second grade (how old are you then?).
Or she may be gay; or she may just be a tomboy. The best thing you can do is make she she knows she can talk to you if she needs to and that you’ll be supportive and nonjudgmental–and that you’ll introduce her to the SDMB!