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Transmasculine

'Transmasculine' is an umbrella term for persons with a female birth sex (AFAB) who move in a masculine direction — in identity, expression, social behaviour or medical transition. The label is broader than transgender man: non-binary AFAB persons who move towards the masculine are usually included as well.

What is meant by it?

Transmasculine describes a direction, not necessarily an end point. Someone can be transmasculine without fully calling themselves 'man' or medically transitioning. The umbrella covers among others trans men, some non-binary AFAB persons and people who use testosterone or undergo a mastectomy without identifying as a man.

Distinction and overlap

The term overlaps with FTM ('female-to-male'), which is older and more specific to full transition. Transmasculine is more recent, broader and includes non-binary pathways. Demiboy can be a specific instantiation.

Social and practical context

The percentage of AFAB persons presenting for trans care has risen sharply since around 2015, especially among adolescents. For medical pathways the usual considerations around hormones and surgery apply: major, partly irreversible and with a considerable percentage of detransition. For minors, the Dutch Protocol no longer provides an uncontested framework; internationally, care precisely for this group is being revised — see the Cass Review.

Critical perspectives

Critics point to the sharp rise in AFAB referrals at gender clinics. Underneath this is probably a mix: older underlying dysphoria, social influence via online media, comorbid problems (autism, eating disorders, depression). A uniform explanation is lacking. A thorough differential assessment is essential; medical steps should not follow from identity as if it were a logical conclusion.