Masturbation and a Blood test?

[Rena-san]

And no, these things have no relation to each other, at least I sure hope not! I just want to kill two of my questions with one stone.

1. I was told the other day that if you don't masturbate often on HRT your penis' muscles with weaken and you'll become incontinent. And that also, weak penis muscles makes it difficult for SRS. Is this true? I've never masturbated, never had the urge, and don't plan on doing it now. 

2. How long after starting HRT should you get a blood test done? My endo wants me to wait three months before having blood work done and coming back in to see her. Is that too long? I mean I'm not having any problems that I can tell of. Haven't even noticed anything. So I guess I'm not dying. I have been getting my blood pressure checked often, and it seems fine. Having some problem putting on weight, but I hope that can be attributed to muscle loss or something...and I've been eating like a pig, so I hope my 90 lbs body gets some fat on it. 

[Padma]

Every 3 months for a blood test is okay, unless you feel like something's up that needs checking sooner.

The penis doesn't have muscles, it's made erect by filling with blood into spongy tissue. No muscles are harmed by not masturbating, and I've never heard of incontinence being caused that way either. I've heard that not having erections for a long time on HRT can cause the penis to atrophy a bit, which would mean less material to work with come SRS - but I don't know if this is actual medical fact.

Oh, and it has to be said:

Masturbation and a Blood test - my idea of a great night out .

[Christine]

I have not had HRT but I had an Orchiectomy about 10 years ago. I can say for sure mine has atrophied quite a bit.  Its a shadow of its former self. I say good riddens. I am not incontinent and have a sex drive still. Though it is less. 

[Carleyxo]

I've been taking hormones for about 6 years now and hardly ever masturbate, i mean literally hardly ever, at best once in 3 months perhaps. But yeah not doing it doesn't seem to make it weaker or anything =/

[Joelene9]

  The only blood test that it may affect is the PSA for cancer detection.  It is known that masturbating or having a long sex session hours before the blood test for PSA may cause a false positive.  This after the urologists gave the blood test after the digital exams for enlarged prostates shower higher PSA readings than the blood tests before the digital exams. 
  Your testes will still have to be in place and not on female HRT for this effect.  The PSA is an inefficient test for cancer and the side effects from the follow-up biopsy is worse than the cancer.  85% false positive rate.  The procedure for prostate cancer detection had changed recently because of this.
  Joelene

[ChaoticTribe]

Actually there are penile muscles. Look up Kegels. They are done by squeezing your urinary and anal muscles to "hold it" if you have to go to the bathroom, such as to stop the flow of urine. Squeezing these muscles will make the penis move, but they're surrounding it, not inside of it.

Anyway, the sphincter is what stops urine, not the body of the penis itself. There is one right at the end of the bladder and another within the length of the penis. If you can 'hold it' for a little when you need to urinate, then you will not become incontinent. Just don't go every hour, let those muscles do a little work to stay strong! At the same time, don't go hours and hours needing to use the bathroom and not doing it, because that would be bad for your organs.

[Padma]

Yeah, good point, I was talking specifically about the erection mechanism. There are muscles involved in retention and ejaculation, but they don't atrophy for want of masturbating. Occasional ejaculation is supposed to be good for the prostate, though.

I think the thing about masturbating is more that regular erections keep the penile skin stretched, so there's as much material as possible to work with come surgery.

[ChaoticTribe]

Oh very good point. Yeah I guess that would help a lot for having more to work with and getting more results later with a lesser amount of discomfort.