Medical Clinics

Legal Support

Groups

Helpful Links to
 Other Sites

Spirituality

FTM Resources

SECTION 2
Hair Removal

Image Enhancement

Hair Restoration 

SECTION 3
Hormone Therapy

SECTION 4

Treatment of Youth

SECTION 5
Causes of Transsexuality

Safety

Public Perspectives of the
Transgender

Insurance Coverage
for SRS 

Seasons--A song of
Transition

A Taste of History

Tripping the Light Fantastic -Staying Sane and Whole While in Transition

TS successes Stories
The Unicorn

Regrets

GID Explanatory letter for Friends and Relatives

Aids for Disabled Transsexuals

Recommended Literature

Jennifer's  Poem

Requests for Research Assistance

The Transsexual Pilot

Tell us what you think about our web site

  !
           

To my patients who teach me far more than I ever pass on to them,  I am grateful for the honor of caring for you.   I wish I could devote more time to my website.  I hope it is helpful and if there is something local that individuals would like to have added I would glad to do so.  I try to avoid politics and rhetoric as the internet is rife with this.

I received a poem called Sisters.  I have a lot of poems and literature sent to me.  I thought this
deserved a special place on the website  I have placed it on a seperate page   See  Sisters
 

I have recently had several requests for letters and medication refill requests.  Because of HIPAA laws I cannot respond to these by my regular email: sara@sarabecker.com .  If there is a need for these items they have to be  directed to my office directly at 503-659-4988  If you are seen at the Old Town Clinic they must be directed to that office at 503-241-3838.

I am a little late but here is the presentation from Esprit on MTF hormones for 2008.  My deep appreciation for all the courtesy and friendship there

   Esprit 2008 PowerPoint Presentation

I recently received an email from an individual who offers services to crossdressers and transgendered.  I have placed the email below

Greetings, My name is David aka Tiffany, as you have guessed I am a cross dresser. My heart extends to all that practice that craft in what ever form, publicly, privately, trans gender or performing drag queen. I own a business located in Portland, Oregon that caters to that need, it is named Honestly Her, (www.honestlyher.com). Honestly Her is dedicated to giving the attention to detail that is needed to create a more acceptable appearance that will not only satisfy the image that the client wants, but a more believable public presentation.

I was honored to speak to the Providence Milwaukie Residency program on 10/24/2007.  It is the first time I have had the opportunity to address a group of physicians in training.   They were most gracious in their reception.  The talk I gave was a variation of the one below on medical care of the transgendered.  I was also honored to have Dr. Desmond Johnson who is renown for his work.    I believe that if physicians who are in training have some exposure to this medical condition perhaps all who are like us will have merciful care at their hands.   After the kind invitation and reception I am most hopeful that transsexuals will not be medical outcasts.

I have been  asked to speak at the following meetings.  As always, speaking is at the behest and request of the sponsoring agency.  To be be asked to talk is very overwhelming to me and I consider myself fortunate to participate .

In May 2007,  I will speak at the Esprit Conference in Port Angeles on hormone therapy.  Other invitations are pending and I am considering those.

On April 13,  2007,  I lectured on hormones at the IFGE conference at the Airport Hilton  in Philadelphia, PA.  The powerpoint presentation is below:

IFGE 2007 Hormone Therapy in MTF and FTM patients

On April 28,  I delivered the following talk  to  The State Physicians Assistant conference  on medical issues in the Transgendered

Medical Care for the Transgendered

Medical Care for Trangendered. handouts

On May 9th,  I lectured at the University of Oregon on Transsexualism in Eugene, Oregon

On May 17,  I  lectured on hormones at the Esprit 2007 conference in Port Angeles,  Washington.  I was honored to be there.  The lecture is Esprit/Hormones 2007

I have some other pending invitations that I am considering.  I still volunteer at the Old Town Clinic which has graciously continue to allow me to work there.  I have always be
made to feel welcome.    I also volunteer at the Outside In clinic lasering gang tattoos. At the end of the day,  what we do for others of free will is the true coin of the realm
in redeeming ones soul.

A recent website I recommend is The Northwest Gender Alliance http://www.nwgausa.com/oregon.htm

http://www.nwgausa.com/oregon.htmA recent website I visited was Lauras Playground.  I recommend it highly.  It is aimed at preventing transgender suicide.  See:

Laura's Playground: Transsexual, Crossdresser, Transgender, Gender Dysphoria, Transgendered Chat. Transexual, Crossdressers, Transvestite

I had the great honor to work on an article for Bloomberg news regarding transsexual athletes
The link is

This year has been a good year in that I have traveled  to many states to discuss care and treatment of transgender and GLB individuals.  I particularly had a enlightening time at the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association in San Francisco October 11-14.  I had a warm reception to a discussion on hormone therapy in transgender patients as well as an opportunity to discuss youthful patients.   I wish to thank GLMA for their kindness and particularly Becky Allison, MD who is as kind and charming in person as her website would indicate.  She did a tremendous job.

I h.ave the permission to add a Adolescent psychiatrist Dr  Paul Meyer-Strom as a resource for patients.  See Therapists and Doctors in the Portland Metropolitan Area

TransYouth Family Advocates  are a national group advocating for young transgenderd individuals.  They can be reached at the following location

Note--if you carry syringes and injectables on an airplane, be sure to get a note and prescription
so that the Transportation Safety Administration officers do not confiscate it

There are many beautiful poems by individuals I have met.  I was given permission to print an essay on Transsexuals and God written by Jennifer Burnett, MD.   It is called The Answer.  I have included another work passed on to me-- Why Women Cry    I also have been given permission to publish a series of poems by
Cheryl Lynn Poems by Cheryl Lynn

A web site for older Ts is  Transgender Aging Network

I am frequently asked to write letters for patients for procedures and the State Department for Passports.  For information  on this see:  Letters.

In the last six months I have talked at the Colleges of The University of Oregon , Portland State University, and Lewis and Clark College. 

I was honored to talk at the IFGE conference in Philadelphia in April, 2006.  

I have talked about hormones at Esprit 2006 in Port Angeles and renewed many old acquaintances
I am grateful for the courteous and kind way I have always been treated there.  It is hard to put
into words my fond feelings for the many fine people who put on the Esprit program and allow
me to participate in  some small way. I have included this presentation below

Hormones-Esprit  MTF2006

I gave  two talks at the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association in October in San Francisco
California.   The GLMA Final   2006 talk was a one hour talk regarding hormones in MTF and FTM

I had the opportunity for the first time to lecture July 11. 2006 at Grimes Hall in front of the Physician Assistant Program.  The program is available as a Power point Presentation at
PowerPoint Presentation at OHSU PA Program 7/27/2006

I had the opportunity to meet with Barbie Scott, a speech therapist with special skills in helping the MTF Transsexual to improve their feminine manner of speech.  Often it is the beard and speech which betray transgendered MTF.  I believe her to be a valuable resource and much less expensive then voice surgery.  She can be found under Therapists
I have updated the list of therapists and physicians who are available and friendly to transgendered individuals.  I have also updated information of hormones in the hormone section


I have encountered an excellent web site in England that looks at the scientific evidence for the biological basis for transsexuality. See  Causes of Transsexuality

The purpose of this web site is to provide timely information to transsexual patients  that live in the Portland Metropolitan Area. It is initially designed to assist
transsexual  patients that I care for in my practice to find local resources
that they may access.  

I hope to provide a list of health care professionals,  support groups,  beauty aids and links to other pertinent resources  for these individuals. Absence of a name does not in any way imply a professional is not a helpful resource.  I have tried initially to include only names of individuals that I know to be very helpful to transitioning  transsexuals.  Please note, that I am required to remind the user that this is general
 information and not a substitute for guidance by a knowledgeable 
physician.

I have finished an essay on what I have learned about transitioning from
the hundreds I have talked to and treated. It is an abbreviated text on how
to transition.  It is called  Seasons--A Song of Transition.

I have added a section on special needs transsexuals that I hope will grow 
with time.  Currently I have listed a person who can sign for deaf individuals.

One of the most important parts of being transgendered is the effect of religion on the
ones life.  I have added a new section which with time I will add to.

I hope to develop resources also for FTM patients for whom I have a growing respect
and understanding of.

I had the honor to speak for a transgendered individual in court recently.  I am encouraged
that the legal system can deliver justice to transgendered individuals if we help each other and others to understand that this is a medical condition recognized throughout the world as such and deserving of respect.

A special note.  On December 2, 2004,  in the small town of Mebane, North Carolina, a physician 
just like me and a wonderful friend opened her solo Family Practice with the help of
her community.   Although she is not in Portland, she is another transgendered
family MD who is out in the United States.  Her name is Dr. Deanna Jones and her 
address can  be found in the list of Medical Clinics

I was contacted by a pediatrician who is transitioning in Roseville, California.  Thus far she has been successful in keeping her practice and has had the help of the hospital she is associated with in transitioning.  She is protected from job discrimination by House Bill 196 which was passed in California. Her name is Carol Milazzo.   I have added her to the list of physicians who are available.   I try to be apolitical but it is apparent to me that without legal protection,  many individuals, particularly  in sensitive jobs such as being a physician,  that the fate of a transitioning individual is often one of abrupt and often deceitful termination by the employer. At the same time Carol Milazzo's transition is being helped by her hospital,  another physician in the Pacific Northwest was shamefully and abruptly terminated despite a community physician shortage.  Interestingly this MD was terminated by a group that caters to minority clients and is run by a minority chief executive officer.

An interesting article dealing with employment and Gender can be found at Grossman Transsexuals, Dress Codes, And The Law.htm

Recently, it was my pleasure to meet a very special person who has the gifts to help many
who struggle with health issues.  She possesses a special gift in her ability to compose 
poetry.  She also carries within her a faith that is beautiful to behold.  I have Jennifer's
permission to publish some of her poetry here.  See Jennifer's Poems

I have been privileged  to participate in a yahoo talk group for trans health professional.  A great deal of energy
has gone into discovering why we are as we are.  Although some of the theories are enticing, in the end, a rock
does not spend time wondering why it is a rock.  We should spend more time determining how to help each
other in a world that is oft unkind and misunderstanding.  For, if one peers close enough, we are all unique
in God' Eyes. It is that which makes us different should bring us together. The political events of the last year
should have taught us all that we need to reach an understanding among all the factions of Proposition 36.
There are solutions.  We do not need to invent them.  They are out there. There must be a willingness
to find them.

This site is dedicated to all those who struggle for a life that lies beyond
the beliefs and understanding of many who are not two-spirited.  It is possible to achieve the life long dreamed of.  If we do not care for each other, then we are all alone.

Sara K. Becker, MD                            

Welcome to Sara Kristine Becker

Special Thank You To:  Ashley Hall, and Dee and all
those who allowed their names to be used.

I also which to especially thank Michael Whitbeck, an extraordinary person who has 
been consistently supportive of what must have been the most unusual challenge to 
face a medical clinic administrator and to Jann Gaige one of the first to believe
the impossible. To Emily and to Amanda who were advocates for the impossible.  I also wish to thank David McAnulty, MD a colleague who wears
many hats all of them well.

To my partners at Northwest Primary Group, PC for whom my strangeness
at times must have been difficult.  They have treated me with tolerance and 
grace.

Without these remarkable individuals, none of this would be here.

Sara K Becker, MD all rights reserved
05/30/2008 08:35 PM