Transition process

Transition process

When you start living ‘in’ the gender you feel comfortable with, this is called: transitioning. You start to live according to how you feel: as a woman, a man, something in between or outside of the two. Not all transgender people want to transition. Find out what best suits you, and what your needs are.

If you do wish to transition, continue reading for more information.

Starting to transition

This is what you can do to begin your transitioning journey:

Ask people around you to address you as ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘they’ when you’ve decided how you want them to refer to you. Maybe you don’t want them to use any of these, that’s okay.
Choose a new name.
Play back and forth with names and pronouns. Maybe you can do this with a trusted friend, or even just in your imagination. This gives you the chance to figure out what feels right for you.
Change your appearance, for example with clothing, make up, hairstyle.
Later on, you may want to take hormones and have surgery to change your body.

Gender Reassignment Treatment

Maybe you have a deep-seated wish to change your body with hormones and surgery. This is called Gender Reassignment Treatment (GRT). This is not only about your genitals, but also about your hair growth, voice and fat distribution. There are two approaches to GFT; Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and gender affirming surgeries.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

In Curaçao, gender reassignment with hormones is available for persons aged 18 years and older. It involves referrals to various health professionals. Firstly, you will discuss this with your General Practitioner. They will refer you to a psychologist. After evaluation by the psychologist, you can get a referral to the Internist (doctor) at Curaçao Medical Center. Together, you will discuss your hormonal treatment plan. This treatment plan is usually covered by the Social Insurance Bank (SVB). But it’s a good idea to discuss this with your doctor and insurance provider, to be sure.

What hormones are used?

There are two types of hormones used in Curaçao for people who want to transition. They are only available to people 18 years and older:

Hormones that suppress your own sex hormones: Trans girls are often given a medicine that suppresses testosterone; trans boys a medicine that stops your periods.
Cross-sex hormones: Trans girls and women are given estrogen, and trans boys and men testosterone.

What to expect for trans girls and women?

When you start taking hormones, all kinds of things change in your body. When you take estrogen and a testosterone blocker, the following often happens:

You grow breasts. This happens slowly in some people, rapidly in others. Some people don’t grow very big ones, while others do.
You may feel less like having sex.
You find it harder to have an erection or you can’t have one at all.
After a while, you no longer ejaculate. A small amount of fluid may still come out of your penis.
Your testicles shrink.
What usually doesn’t change is your sexual orientation.

Good to know, everyone reacts differently to hormones. How your body changes may vary slightly, and it takes time.

What to expect for trans boys and men

When you start taking hormones, all kinds of things change in your body. When you take testosterone, the following happens:

You grow a beard and facial hair.
Your voice may become deeper.
You may notice changes in your sex drive. In the early phase of taking testosterone, it may increase. This usually levels out over time.
Your clitoris grows, this is often referred to as ‘’bottom growth’’. This may happen slowly or rapidly. And for some people the clitoris grows more than for others.
Your clitoris may become slightly hard when you are turned on. When your clitoris has grown, you’ll notice this a bit more.
What usually doesn’t change is your sexual orientation.

Good to know, everyone reacts differently to hormones. How your body changes may vary slightly, and it takes time.

If it’s disappointing

Many young people are happy with the changes. Trans boys and men often think it’s great to be more in the mood for sex. Trans girls and women are often relieved that they gradually stop having spontaneous erections.

It can also be disappointing. Maybe things have changed less, or less rapidly than you would have hoped.

For example, as a trans male you hoped you would be a lot more in the mood for sex, but you notice that’s not the case.
As a trans female you were longing to have breasts, but there’s hardly any growth.

On the other hand, you may find it annoying that certain things change.

As a trans female, for example, you think it is a pity that you are less interested in sex, that you no longer get an erection or that you no longer ejaculate.
As a trans male you are overwhelmed by your desire for sex and you don’t know how to deal with it.

What can you do?

You can wait and see for a while. It’s important not to underestimate the time your body needs to develop and adjust to your hormone treatment. In time, you may begin to see the change you desired.
Talk about it with your psychologist and your doctor. Ask questions and decide on solutions together.
Talk about it with support organizations knowledgeable about sexuality and/or mental health, like FOKO, Yuda bo Yu and Skuchami.
You may eventually decide to stop taking hormones. You can still carry on living your life as your desired gender as much as you want. Or as a person who is more in between, if that suits you better. Some changes to your body can no longer be reversed. But your body won’t change any more than it has already.

Gender Affirming Surgery

Gender affirming surgery is a way to change the body to match a person’s gender identity. This can include creating or reshaping body parts like the chest, penis, vulva, or other features to help someone feel more comfortable in their own skin. The process is carefully planned with doctors, and each person’s journey is unique, focusing on what feels right for them.

Gender reassignment through genital surgery is not available in Curaçao. However, it is accessible elsewhere within the Dutch Kingdom. If you have a deep-seated wish for surgical gender reassignment, discuss the possibilities with your psychologist or General Practitioner. Be mindful that pursuing this path can be a lengthy process, often involving substantial waiting times and the need for specific insurance coverage to manage costs.

Talk to others who have had gender reaffirming surgery. Organizations like FOKO and Curaçao Pride may be able to connect you with people who have had this experience.

Want to talk or need help?

Do you have transgender feelings? Talking about it is a relief! Perhaps with a trusted adult or someone you know, with other young transgender people, or with someone from support organizations like FOKO or Curaçao Pride.