'vaginal atrophy'

[makipu]

I just heard of this term being one of the side effects of taking T so I was wondering what it actually meant and what it was.
I was only aware of it causing clitoris growth.

[aleon515]

Yes, T can cause that. I take vaginal estrogen. It's extremely low dose (something like .025%) and causes no general feminization. I've taken because symptoms of vaginal atrophy are increase of fungal infections and increase UTIs (sometimes).

Probiotics may be helpful but you still may have to take this vaginally.


--Jay

[makipu]

This is total news to me so thank you Jay for the information, even though I do have an ill feeling in my stomach at the moment. I just want that hole closed....

[kast]

It can include vaginal dryness which I've seen listed as a possible effect of T. Personally I only had dryness in the first month of T (and it was very uncomfortable even to just walk around), but otherwise I've had no negative effects on my genitals. If anything, things are more lubricated (during arousal) due to the increase in sex drive.

[Gothic Dandy]

I think it's only a problem if you plan on sticking anything up there. It would make vaginal intercourse more painful and require you to use extra lube. I don't know from personal experience, though.

[aleon515]

I agree it's not necessarily an issue. It was only an issue for me because I was getting a LOT of fungal infections, that didn't seem to go away with anything else. We are hearing this problem on our over 40 list. I don't know that it is usually a problem for younger guys.

If it bothers you you can just try some lubricant or something like that. It's very cheap. Be sure to use something with no glycerine. But yes, I have heard people say that they like the dryness feeling it's more how they feel they should be, if that makes sense. I wouldn't be bothered if I had no infections.


--Jay

[Pixie]

My body's vagina is totally off-limits, so I'm not sure I'd notice muscular atrophy. But I was also warned about it getting dry and ... that has not at all been an issue. I bring a change of underwear when going on date-nights with my partners if I know we'll be getting intimate because of how much that has umm... not been a problem. At all. Much to my annoyance.

[palexander]

agreed with kast. i've noticed more lubrication when aroused, rather than less.

[makipu]

Thank you for additional info guys. I think I was given Diflucan in the past for itching but it didn't seem to help. I was not on T then. I actually also prefer that area to be dry but speaking of wetness...from time to time (even before for years when I wasn't on T) I would get these leaking sensations and I was so disgusted with them that I had to keep checking if it was blood or not.
I have no idea why this is even happening because my mind is completely asexual.
Going back to atrophy, I do have the itching and discharge symptoms though.

[aleon515]

Diflucan is for a specific types of fungal infections. If you don't have the ones that it is good for, it won't work. It also won't work for bacterial infections (or viral, though I think those are rare). It's nice in that it's taken orally (and normally one dose), also cis men can take it, there's a plus in my mind.

BTW, to clarify I got on vaginal estrogen not for dryness, because of recurrent infections that didn't clear up for anything. I think it's a sign of atrophy. Dryness isn't necessarily, tmk.


--Jay