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How effective is Testosterone as a birth control?

Started by Tyler90210, October 11, 2010, 12:37:14 AM

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Tyler90210

OK so since I'm obviously not going to be getting another Depo shot or any other kind of female hormone I was wondering how effective T is?  I'm guessing 100% or 99.9% because it stops periods right?  Has anyone ever heard of a trans guy getting pregnant while on T and not having a period?

I feel like I need to be on some kind of birth control because I am a gay guy and don't want to get pregnant.  Even though I won't be penetrated in the "normal" sense.  I'm anal only and actually would prefer to top.  But I still feel like I should be better safe then sorry.  ???

So am I correct in thinking T is effective birth control?  Also how long does it usually take for T to stop periods? 
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jet3

Hey man, I can't answer this for sure, but i do remember that trans dude that got pregnant a couple years ago had stopped taking T for quite a long time before he was able to get pregnant. I dont know how long exactly, but I want to say it was at least a year.  So I would assume that it's pretty unlikely.
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Nygeel

T is not an effective form of birth control. It's unknown when testosterone shuts down the uterus and can vary for everybody. Some guys have gotten pregnant after they stopped having periods.
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Silver

Sounds like it'd be pretty effective with no ovulation and all (if you're dosing correctly.)

But you never know, just don't risk it man. Use protection.
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kyril

It's extremely effective after a long enough time, because it will eventually shut down your ovulation.

Unfortunately, nobody knows exactly how long "long enough" is, it probably varies from person to person, and it's unlikely we'll ever have a definitive answer because the studies required to find out would be extraordinarily irresponsible (you'd have to have a quite large sample of gay trans men having vaginal intercourse using T as their only form of birth control, with the knowledge that any resulting pregnancies would be at exceptionally high risk for severe birth defects and would also put the mental health of the subjects at risk).

Any responsible doctor will tell you that you should always use a barrier method of birth control while on T, until and unless you have a hysto and/or oophorectomy. It's an open secret that guys in committed relationships who have been on T for years don't usually use birth control, but no medical professional would sanction it.

Edit: That being said, I jsut reread your post. You say you're anal only and a top. Topping puts you at zero pregnancy risk unless you are rubbing your genitals in your partner's jizz. Same for oral. If you do bottom, you should never have unprotected sex anyway unless you are in a committed monogamous relationship and both of you have seen each other's recent negative STD tests (standard gay safe sex lecture: STD rates, especially HIV, are dangerously high in the gay community, and bottoming for anal sex carries a higher risk of STD transmission than anything else you can do in bed). If you are bottoming for unprotected anal sex in a committed relationship, it's a very low pregnancy-risk activity; the only risk is if semen contacts the vulva (either directly or through after-sex leakage), so avoid letting your partner cum on or near your genitals, and shower and clean up after sex especially if he cums inside you.


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Ryan

Quote from: Nygeel on October 11, 2010, 01:11:43 AM
T is not an effective form of birth control. It's unknown when testosterone shuts down the uterus and can vary for everybody. Some guys have gotten pregnant after they stopped having periods.
This.
It is never safe to assume that you're infertile. Even if your periods stopped years ago, it's still very possible to get pregnant.
The only way to be sure, other than using protection, is to get a hysterectomy.

Scott started taking testosterone in 1999 at the age of 19. He got pregnant in 2009.


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kyril

Quote from: Ryan on October 11, 2010, 04:44:31 AM
This.
It is never safe to assume that you're infertile. Even if your periods stopped years ago, it's still very possible to get pregnant.
The only way to be sure, other than using protection, is to get a hysterectomy.

Scott started taking testosterone in 1999 at the age of 19. He got pregnant in 2009.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure all the publicized pregnant men, including Scott, got pregnant on purpose after some time off T.


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Cindy

Sorry Guys,

Just from  a medical point of view if you can produce eggs and they can meet semen you can get pregnant . Whether the child will be grossly deformed is open to debate (from the hormones). Some IVF clinics put women on T to improve fertility.

If you have ovaries you can produce eggs. If you have eggs they can be fertilized.

Wish I could

Cindy
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kyril

Quote from: CindyJames on October 11, 2010, 05:06:03 AM
Sorry Guys,

Just from  a medical point of view if you can produce eggs and they can meet semen you can get pregnant . Whether the child will be grossly deformed is open to debate (from the hormones). Some IVF clinics put women on T to improve fertility.

If you have ovaries you can produce eggs. If you have eggs they can be fertilized.

Wish I could

Cindy
Women on hormonal birth control still have ovaries, but the hormones in the birth control disrupt their hormone-production cycles and change the uterine lining in a way that reduces the risk of pregnancy to less than 1% (per woman per year). T also disrupts ovarian cycles and the uterine lining, probably to an even greater degree. It does suppress ovulation and almost entirely eliminate the risk of pregnancy. It even sometimes causes permanent infertility. The problem is that because of the lack of scientific studies, unlike normal female birth control, we don't know exactly how fast it works or what the remaining pregnancy risk is.

It's always safest to use a barrier method of birth control. It's particularly critical to use condoms if you're nonmonogamous. But it's not nearly as simple as "if you have ovaries, you can get pregnant."

As to the use of T by fertility clinics: I'm not aware of this, but I can definitely assure you that if it is used, the doses are dramatically lower (by at least an order of magnitude) than the doses of T used in trans men. Female hormones are used by fertility clinics as well, but the same hormones are used in birth control - the female reproductive system is entirely homone-driven, and the same hormone can have different effects depending on dosage and timing. T at male levels suppresses ovulation and menstruation and almost entirely shuts down ovarian function - this is established science.

The one thing I really don't know about this is what we do/don't know about combining T and female hormonal birth control. I suspect that this is a bad idea in more ways than one. Again, trans men should use barrier methods.


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Radar

Quote from: Tyler90210 on October 11, 2010, 12:37:14 AMHas anyone ever heard of a trans guy getting pregnant while on T and not having a period?
Yes, and by accident- not planned. It reduces the chance but can still happen. Just be sure to use a condom for safety's sake- especially if you're going to be bottom. I know you prefer top but I'm sure there will be cases you'll want to try bottom.

Even though I can't help but think that any gay male sex would be anal. I myself don't see why a gay male would be interested in the V hole to begin with. But, I don't know about these things.
"In this one of many possible worlds, all for the best, or some bizarre test?
It is what it is—and whatever.
Time is still the infinite jest."
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Tyler90210

Hey guys thanks for all your great responses.  ;D

I just want to say this so you guys don't get the wrong idea about me.  I would never even think about doing anal without a condom.  It's just since condoms break every once in a while, I just wanted to be extra safe on some kind of hormonal birth control.  Sorry I should have said that in my OP.  :(

Also am I correct to think T might lower the effectiveness of hormonal birth control?
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Osiris

There was a trans couple ftm and mtf who got pregnant by accident while both had been on hormones for years and were still on them at the time of conception.

Never think that because you've been on hormones for a certain amount of time that you're completely protected against pregnancy. Everyone reacts differently to hormones and our reproductive systems are resilient. There are people who haven't had a period in years and have been able to conceive. Not having a period doesn't necessarily mean that your reproductive system has completely shut down and sometimes you don't need to have gone off your hormones to make it bounce back.

So, no I would not consider testosterone a reliable birth control.
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kyril

A suggestion: If your concern is pregnancy resulting from condoms breaking, you should get fitted for a diaphragm.

I've tried looking it up but I don't think anybody really knows what hormonal birth control does for guys on T, so go with the things that don't rely on your hormone balance operating normally. IUDs are also an option but more invasive and might be hard to get, especially if you've never been pregnant. Spermicidal creams/jellies/suppositories are also an option if you're not having vaginal sex (they're problematic if you are because the irritation can increase STD risk) and work well in combination with a diaphragm. Or you could have your tubes tied, if you wanted a permanent solution prior to getting a hysto.


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Nygeel

There's always the morning after pill for if/when a condom rips.
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kyril

Quote from: Nygeel on October 11, 2010, 04:22:38 PM
There's always the morning after pill for if/when a condom rips.
That's just high-dose hormonal birth control, but newer and even less studied - I don't know if anybody really knows whether it works for guys on T (or what, if anything, it does in that case).


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Nygeel

Quote from: kyril on October 11, 2010, 04:27:24 PM
That's just high-dose hormonal birth control, but newer and even less studied - I don't know if anybody really knows whether it works for guys on T (or what, if anything, it does in that case).
I was thinking more so for a person not on T yet who doesn't want to use regular hormonal birth control. It's a decent back up if (God forbid) something horrible happens.
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kyril

Quote from: Nygeel on October 11, 2010, 04:30:36 PM
I was thinking more so for a person not on T yet who doesn't want to use regular hormonal birth control. It's a decent back up if (God forbid) something horrible happens.
Ah, yes.

(Make sure you're prepared for the side effects, though - both physical and psychological. They can be ugly.)


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Adio

Always use a condom no matter what.  If it breaks, there's Plan B.  Although, I'm with kyril, who knows if it would do anything for a transman.
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Silver

Doesn't make any sense- can't see why a transman on T would take birth control. Birth control pills are supposed to simulate the hormone levels of pregnancy to stop ovulation, right? And T stops ovulation anyway. Birth control pills sound like such a bad idea- at best I can only imagine them bringing the cycle back. I would guess it would be something like PCOS at best, and at worst, deadly.
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Tyler90210

Quote from: kyril on October 11, 2010, 04:20:01 PM
A suggestion: If your concern is pregnancy resulting from condoms breaking, you should get fitted for a diaphragm.

I've tried looking it up but I don't think anybody really knows what hormonal birth control does for guys on T, so go with the things that don't rely on your hormone balance operating normally. IUDs are also an option but more invasive and might be hard to get, especially if you've never been pregnant. Spermicidal creams/jellies/suppositories are also an option if you're not having vaginal sex (they're problematic if you are because the irritation can increase STD risk) and work well in combination with a diaphragm. Or you could have your tubes tied, if you wanted a permanent solution prior to getting a hysto.

Yeah, I was thinking about asking the guy to wear one of the Trojan condoms with the spermicide in them when I bottom anally. 
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