Effects of HRT on sex

[tesseract49]

Hi everyone. I am transgender MTF but not on hormones yet. I have asked a few people about this but didn't really get a detailed explanation. In what ways does HRT affect sex in transwomen? For example, does sensitivity change? I have heard that nipples become more sensitivty. Does orgasm change? What I am basically asking is, will I feel like a genetic woman?

Thanks very much for your time xxx

[ImagineKate]

Depends on what kind of sex.

Penetrative sex, as in you penetrating a woman (or a man)? Some people get ED issues. Others aren't really affected. My ability to have penetrative sex has diminished somewhat but if I try I can get almost as I was before.

Nipples and breasts do become more sensitive and it can help you reach orgasm.

Some say orgasm becomes more of a full body experience but I've always felt it that way. I could even adjust how I feel it and this was well before HRT. The effect is somewhat amplified now though and I have a warm glow that lasts for a while after I orgasm, like a loooooong while. It feels really, really good. The biggest sex organ is between your ears and HRT can modify it.

But as with everything, YMMV.

[tesseract49]

I totally know what you mean about the glow thing. I think I have that all ready.  I am looking forward to HRT now. It makes me wonder if sex is different for transwomem from the start. I have always been very feminine in that way.

[Lara1969]

For me sex changed a lot as well as orientation from women to men. After srs and in hrt since one year I love to have sex with men. Prior srs and hrt I preferred women. I could easily achieve an orgasm prior hrt and srs. Now I did not had an orgasm since srs even withhaving sex with two or three men a week. Currently my mind is not ready for a orgasm. The result of my srs is great with full sensation in the clitoris.

There can be a huge change. Like mentioned before it all happens in you brain.

Lara

[Ruth Ruthless]

For me sex died when I began HRT, since my T levels plummeted below test limit of 1.5 nmol/l. Couldn't get erect, couldn't get sexually aroused. In contrast, before HRT I felt I had to masturbate once or twice a day to keep my cool. After - I felt no need at all.

There was one time during this period, first night in bed with my girlfriend that she massaged my breast for a long while and then eventually I felt a tingling that built up and up and up and felt explosive and was totally awesome and happened only in my breast area. But then I wasn't so shocked anymore from her being with me, so it didn't happen again.

Then after 9 months of HRT I switched from pills to gel, and my T levels went back to male levels within a month and I was able to have sex, and it was just like before, plus slight pain in the background during erections, possibly due to atrophy from lack of use. Now we raised the dosage, but it's too early to tell. I think I still have some of my sexuality but it is vastly weakened, but again... it's been only two weeks on the new dose so I don't really know. I'm definitely less horny now again, but now sure I am at rock bottom like before.

Never felt any new breast sensitivity except on that one "magical" night. But my relationship with my girlfriend is always magical as far as I'm concerned, whether we have sex or not.

[spooky]

The first change I noticed after starting was a drop in libido - and that was immediate.  There was a time immediately after starting HRT that I didn't have any sex partners and, since I wasn't interested in masturbating, all activity stopped.  When I started sleeping with people again I would experience pain during arousal.  Ruth Ruthless mentioned this too, due to atrophy.  After a few weeks of consistent activity this went away.

Soon after my primary interest in the role I liked to take in the bedroom switched - this was probably only indirectly related to HRT and more to do with my own shifting perceptions of what things were sexiest.  I became interested in penetrating my partners instead of being penetrated.  That increased to the point that today I am only interested in penetrating, not being penetrated.  That's just me being a pervert.

Someone mentioned orgasms lasting longer, and I feel that that's true for me too.

One change that HRT seems to have brought about in me that I've never heard of happening to anyone else is that my erections do not subside after orgasm.  Because of that I often have long sessions involving several back to back orgasms, which is very interesting and I don't know how to explain it. 

[tesseract49]

Very interesting.  Thanks everyone for contributing answers.  I really don't mind my libido decreasing since I actuallu find it annoying.  I suppose as long as I can still feel pleasure that is okay. I have heard some people say that the penis becomes more sensitive. Is that true?

[Tammy M]

I am one of the people who HRT didn't affect my libido. It did change quite a bit.  I didn't get erect and have to orgasm.  I could still get an orgasm, even get erect, when I wanted to.  Nothing came out as ejaculate but it felt great and was a more satisfying orgasm usually.  It also took a lot longer to happen.

I had GRS last September and it affected my libido for about 7 weeks because of the pain, blood and mess.  I had my first post op orgasm 61 days after surgery but today I have even less desire to have an orgasm for orgasms sake but they are amazing when I have them.  They can last and last but don't have a well defined ending or beginning.  My libido may be down because I don't want to touch myself as often but when I am with my boyfriend I always want to please him and love the intimacy.  It is much better now.

[Zoe the Obscure]

After 7 months i was expecting amazing female orgasms (forever the optimist).  Meh.  Sex is kind of boring now, i like ice cream better.

[Ruth Ruthless]

The first change I noticed after starting was a drop in libido - and that was immediate.  There was a time immediately after starting HRT that I didn't have any sex partners and, since I wasn't interested in masturbating, all activity stopped.  When I started sleeping with people again I would experience pain during arousal.  Ruth Ruthless mentioned this too, due to atrophy.  After a few weeks of consistent activity this went away.

Soon after my primary interest in the role I liked to take in the bedroom switched - this was probably only indirectly related to HRT and more to do with my own shifting perceptions of what things were sexiest.  I became interested in penetrating my partners instead of being penetrated.  That increased to the point that today I am only interested in penetrating, not being penetrated.  That's just me being a pervert.

Someone mentioned orgasms lasting longer, and I feel that that's true for me too.

One change that HRT seems to have brought about in me that I've never heard of happening to anyone else is that my erections do not subside after orgasm.  Because of that I often have long sessions involving several back to back orgasms, which is very interesting and I don't know how to explain it.

What you're describing is exactly how I used to have sex before HRT and during the 3 months I had male hormone levels. Now that my libido is gone again, I just don't have any readily available sexual energy to work with. If I masturbate and concentrate I can muster up an erection and reach orgasm, but that is only by myself without a condom. With a partner and with a condom it's much harder for me to generate that energy, because in sex I also have to hold my weight and work harder and sweating turns me off... and if I'm not on top that also drains my sexual energy since gravity is working against me. When I masturbate I can lie down on my belly without propping myself up and fantasize about the exact situation which unfortunately can't happen with my girlfriend, and I don't have a condom dulling my senses.

But then again, it kind of feels pointless to masturbate since I'm never horny unless I try to get horny. I only want to have a sex drive so I could enjoy sex more with my girlfriend. Being able to make her excited and have an orgasm is better than nothing, but it makes me sad that I can't feel the way she feels and be together with her in the excitement.

[megan7777]

I've been reading on ->-bleeped-<- on this subject and from what i understand for a MTF will penis kept, the following wil happen. HRT, will cause erections to be non existent, to randomly possible,but MMV. I've read that orgasms are still possible but harder to get to, yet they are deeper in intensity when they happen.

[Dee Marshall]

6.5 months on HRT, still get erections, none spontaneous. Then again I don't recall many spontaneous ones in the past 15 years. Orgasms are more difficult, but worth it.

[mfox]

I just don't have any readily available sexual energy to work with.

Same feelings here. Even though I've always been in sexually submissive role with my husband, HRT has just zapped any interest in sex.  Sometimes I can get interested if there's a lot of foreplay involved (mainly caressing, especially my chest, not my genitals which are dysphoria city). 

[awilliams1701]

I'm single and haven't been with anyone in over 10 years, but for reference he used to pop up 10x a day. Now he doesn't pop up unless I want him too (which is rare). I could still function if I wanted him to. I was concerned that I would completely loose all interest in any kind of sexual activity and that's just not the case. Its just a hell of a lot more reasonable than it used to be. However one thing I noticed is that it hurts when he pops up now.

[megan7777]

I'm read a lot on this and from my understanding, the mtf ability to get erect for PIV is variable at best. Some folks can still get aroused from time to time. others never, some only in the morning. that sort of thing. I've come to the conclusion that whom ever I will be with, we will have to use other strategist for orgasm, or coupling (strap on, fingers) as examples).

[Lara1969]

I am often "horny" since I am on full dose HRT. On lower dose Estradiol and Progesterone my sexual desire tends to be non-existent. I can easily loose my desire if I lower my dose.

Lara

[aniiiib]

There were a lot of sexual changes that came with starting hrt... for one, my sex drive changed in that it was less intense and I could control it easier (aka I don't masturbate nearly as much as I did pre-HRT)... my ability to ejaculate has pretty much ceased (I've been on hrt over a year now)... I can still have penetrative sex with a little bit of effort... my penis is VERY sensitive (it's basically just a giant clitoris at this point)... orgasms are less intense and more gradual, longer, and full bodied... my nipples and breasts are very sensitive... it's a little harder to achieve an orgasm... but once I've had it I always have a long period of almost feeling like I'm glowing (like other people have said)... and I generally feel a bit less dysphoric about my genitals since I've started hrt now that they're softer, more sensitive, etc.