Sex Science Self

Welcome to some of the hottest battlefields in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community. Sex Science Self is a bold, argumentative, contentious, and provocative book. In equal measure, it is also insightful, stimulating, and brilliant. Bob Ostertag's dedication reads, “to my people, the freaks and the queers,” and before he begins his narrative, he provides a helpful glossary of the following words: “Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, Gay, Lesbian, Queer, Homosexual, [and] Bisexual” (pp. v, xi). His dedication places Ostertag squarely within the LGBT community, and his glossary serves notice to readers that he will guide them through terrain that many will find unfamiliar. Sex Science Self is, as its subtitle states, a social history of estrogen and testosterone. At first, Ostertag thought about aiming his work at young people who were considering taking estrogen or testosterone to “transition” from one gender to another. But he quickly realized that his focus was too narrow, so he expanded his discussion to interest anyone who has taken or is considering taking estrogen or testosterone for any purpose. This made his audience huge, for synthesized versions of these hormones are among the most aggressively promoted and widely prescribed drugs on the market today, generating literally billions of dollars in annual sales. Again and again, Ostertag follows the money, and he is sharply critical of the drug industry for deluging the public with advertisements for drugs that have not been properly tested nor proven efficacious

Art · Glossary · Lesbian · Literature · Narrative · Queer · Sociology · Testosterone (patch · Transgender · Transsexual · Endocrinology · Gender Studies · Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes · Medicine · Philosophy · Psychology