Argh! I'm at that stage where I'm going back and forth about hormones. I can't make up my mind and its largely due to all the negative things people post about taking them! Also I really don't want to lose my penile function, mostly because I don't know how to sexually function without it! I know for a lot of trans woman its somewhat "taboo" to feel a connection to it, but I'm just not ready for all the effects of the hormones to take place :( somebody help! :'(
My own way of thinking about this (don't know whether it is helpful or not) was that you never know until you try. If you don't like what hormones do, you can always stop. Just knowing that i would have a nice pair of breasts and a shapely butt made me never forget to take the pills.
I know quite a few people who didn't lose their penile function from hormones, it depends on what you take and how much. I lost mine for ages but I chose to take something that i knew would make that happen. I was kind of surprised that I still managed to get an erection last week!
I don't care much for my own penis, but I know plenty of trans women who do, I wouldn't say there's a taboo about it, some people like 'em and some don't.
Hi aniya,
Can be a frustrating time of life, can't it. The best way to resolve the dilemma would be to talk to your therapist and Endocrinologist who should be able to get to the bottom of the issue.
Remember, at your age, there's no rush to get into HRT. The more time you think about the long term implications the better the outcome.
Be safe, well and happy
Lotsa huggs
Catherine
Let me start by saying I have no love for my penis, but I don't hate it either - it's just there.. I started hormones for several reasons: to see if they would bring the peace of mind that I so needed and to help me get a body that matched who I knew myself to be, those are the main ones, anyway.
I got the first of those. :) And the second is still a work in progress, but I'm fairly happy with the results so far. Which brings me to the point of this post: my penis still functions. It's not quite the same and I do have to be in the 'right mood', but it does still work - even when my T level got down to zero it still worked.
Honestly, I think for most it's an issue of the mind, rather than an issue caused by hormones.
I have been on HRT for two years or so and function is still there. Just takes a little more time. In fact the pleasure has increased and feels quite different. Breasts have become a very important part of it.
Tanya
Quote from: aniya on July 10, 2012, 05:28:30 AM
Argh! I'm at that stage where I'm going back and forth about hormones. I can't make up my mind and its largely due to all the negative things people post about taking them! Also I really don't want to lose my penile function, mostly because I don't know how to sexually function without it! I know for a lot of trans woman its somewhat "taboo" to feel a connection to it, but I'm just not ready for all the effects of the hormones to take place :( somebody help! :'(
Why do you want to take hormones to begin with? What do you really want to do?
me too and im worried that at 25 its too late/ pointless to start
im just hoping if my muscle mass goes away my monster shoulders end up looking narrower , but i had a big head and nothing can be done about that :(
Quote from: mementomori on July 10, 2012, 05:41:10 PM
i had a big head and nothing can be done about that :(
You can try being more humble ;D
lol that should read " but i have a big head "
Quote from: mementomori on July 10, 2012, 07:11:50 PM
lol that should read " but i have a big head "
Are you tall? Head size does have a correlation to body size. Although I am one of the outliers being 5'9", but I have a 24.8 inch head circumference (I usually have to go to specialty stores for hats). A big head is nowhere near as difficult as big hands or big feet to mask, you just need to choose a hairstyle carefully.
Quote from: silentone on July 10, 2012, 08:20:47 PM
Are you tall? Head size does have a correlation to body size. Although I am one of the outliers being 5'9", but I have a 24.8 inch head circumference (I usually have to go to specialty stores for hats). A big head is nowhere near as difficult as big hands or big feet to mask, you just need to choose a hairstyle carefully.
im 6 foot unlike a lot of the people im on this forum , i like my height/ being tall i have big feet i guess size 11 but my hands are small for my height
It's natural to feel nervous about anything making changes to your body which may be potentially permanent.
Talk to your Doctor and endo - you can simply start on low dose and see how you feel about the effects and adjust accordingly - at least you'll have some form of answer for yourself that way.
Quote from: mementomori on July 10, 2012, 05:27:49 PM
me too and im worried that at 25 its too late/ pointless to start
Oh way too old :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I'm 60. Working for me
If you live in the U.K you are only legally allowed to go on hormones if you are completely sure it's right for you. You will also need to have full clarification from a specialist psychiatrist and prove you intend to live full time in your new gender role before they will let you start HRT.
In America it looks like these laws are far more relaxed but if you are not sure and don't like the effects hormones might make to your libido and sexual orientation I don't think you should be taking them.
Quote from: Naturally Blonde on July 11, 2012, 05:04:16 AM
If you live in the U.K you are only legally allowed to go on hormones if you are completely sure it's right for you. You will also need to have full clarification from a specialist psychiatrist and prove you intend to live full time in your new gender role before they will let you start HRT.
In America it looks like these laws are far more relaxed but if you are not sure and don't like the effects hormones might make to your libido and sexual orientation I don't think you should be taking them.
I didn't do that. I went to see the specialist at Charing Cross and told him I would rather get prescribed than buy on the black market and was given hormones without Fulltime. I had to have an appointment with my wife to make sure she was ok with it.
I took them for fifteen years and sexual function only gradually disappeared. After that I stopped and now eight years later it's almost back to pre hormone function
Quote from: sandrauk on July 11, 2012, 09:58:27 AM
I didn't do that. I went to see the specialist at Charing Cross and told him I would rather get prescribed than buy on the black market and was given hormones without Fulltime. I had to have an appointment with my wife to make sure she was ok with it.
I took them for fifteen years and sexual function only gradually disappeared. After that I stopped and now eight years later it's almost back to pre hormone function
You have been very lucky! I was at the NHS Charing Cross GIC from 2001 to 2003 and after nearly two years of attending their clinic they wouldn't put me on prescription hormones so I had to go private to start on prescription hormones and at that time I was already full time. I've also never had a wife or anything like that.
Your right sexual function isn't affected that much by HRT but can be affected more by anti androgens. Even after more than a decade my equipment still works too well which is quite upsetting for me personally as I hate the thingy.
Hi Aniya,
For me HRT was an absolute blessing. The Depression that undiagnosed GID had caused me to suffer ceased within a few days, and I found a whole new level of emotional sensitivity I never knew I had. I am now well on the way to a body that is congruent broadly with what my mind says should be there, and I just basically love being a girl.
Regarding sexual disfunction, after a short term thing with a non-op transgirl, I found to my pleasant surprise that we both performed completely satisfactorily on a number of occassions. Actually, although I would rather be without mine, if I was forced to be non-op I would just get a prescription for Cialis and go for it! Therre is a lot more to sex than penetration though, in fact I have found a number that are actually a lot more fun, and they don't end quickly either.
Karen.
I am also a bit concerned about losing penile function once I start HRT (yes, I like to use it), but in my experience dating trans women many on HRT still function- My partner (a pre-everything trans man) dated trans women on HRT before me and they never had issues with being unable to have penetrative sex.
If losing penile function would seriously keep you from taking HRT then tbh maybe you need to reassess what transitioning means to you... it's kind of a serious step to take if you don't feel very strongly about it.
Quote from: pretty on July 12, 2012, 11:49:48 AM
If losing penile function would seriously keep you from taking HRT then tbh maybe you need to reassess what transitioning means to you... it's kind of a serious step to take if you don't feel very strongly about it.
I agree, some people want to be on both sides of the fence!
Let me be clear- I'd MUCH rather be a woman with a limp estrogen-ized penis than a man with a fully functional one. But would I prefer to still be able to use my penis to penetrate my partner after I transition? Hells yeah! :)
Beyond that, it's like Julia Serano said once- people are going to have to get used to the idea that some women have penises and some men have vaginas. There are LOTS of really valid reasons a person might not choose to (or want to) get bottom surgery.
Quote from: The Tomboy Transgirl on July 12, 2012, 02:50:26 PM
Let me be clear- I'd MUCH rather be a woman with a limp estrogen-ized penis than a man with a fully functional one. But would I prefer to still be able to use my penis to penetrate my partner after I transition? Hells yeah! :)
Beyond that, it's like Julia Serano said once- people are going to have to get used to the idea that some women have penises and some men have vaginas. There are LOTS of really valid reasons a person might not choose to (or want to) get bottom surgery.
Yuk! I personally hated having penetrative sex with a female and I hate the thingy. Maybe I'm different but I really don't want to be a man or have sex as a man with a woman! I didn't enjoy it at all.
While I can certainly appreciate your conundrum the rewards of starting on hrt in the long run will far exceed your need of wanting both your cake and to be able to eat it too. That is unless you really value your tool and if that's the case your really should rethink your decision.
I haven't gone on hormones yet, but I have really been giving some thought about it and being on medicare seeing what is paid for and what isn't. For the most part being 65 years old I don't care if my penis functions or not. When it comes to sex its on its own. I am more concerned about how hormones will effect the rest of my health because I have diabetes 2, moderately high blood sugar, and problems with cholesterol. And my mother died of breast cancer. My penis is already responsible for bringing six kids into this world and that is enough for me. Besides at 65 I can't see bringing any more children into this world because I want to be there to at least get them through their first 18 years of life and through high school. I have 9 more years to go to get the last one through school now. If you really worry about having kids then bank some sperm away before you take hormones.
Before you take hormones just decide what is important to you and find away to take care of it. I pretty much have learned through a lot of trial and lots of error that I have to be who I am, because that's the path the others in my life are following for themselves. But I also know that becoming more of a woman does not mean that I can run away from my current commitments and responsibilities and loose myself in the female world. I just figure if all people in my life see is that I am effeminate and see me acting as such that they will accept me for what I am and life will go on.
You can't escape it, so why not embrace it?
A song told me that over half a year ago. I heard the song, understood the song and its connection to me, and I decided to embrace it. Is this going to go away... no. Well what can I do about it? So I decided to start hormones.
Aniya, you started this thread..........where did you go?????
Quote from: Dale on July 16, 2012, 09:57:33 PM
Aniya, you started this thread..........where did you go?????
I've been slaving away at work and finally caught up with everyone's replies. Wish I could reply to everyone but for the most part value some of the responses I got.
Aniya,
My greatest concerns about HRT are allergic reaction, sudden or drastic changes in mental / emotional states, possibility of stroke / heart problems, and other documented negative effects. I could care less if my equipment works or not because I have no desire to procreate. I posted about my concerns here at Susan's (mainly about allergic reactions) and got some productive, helpful answers.
I'm just taking this slowly, one day at a time, and waiting to see where therapy leads me once it starts. I hope my post has been helpful for you.
Quote from: Dawn Heart on July 18, 2012, 05:26:04 AM
Aniya,
My greatest concerns about HRT are allergic reaction, sudden or drastic changes in mental / emotional states, possibility of stroke / heart problems, and other documented negative effects. I could care less if my equipment works or not because I have no desire to procreate. I posted about my concerns here at Susan's (mainly about allergic reactions) and got some productive, helpful answers.
I'm just taking this slowly, one day at a time, and waiting to see where therapy leads me once it starts. I hope my post has been helpful for you.
The possibility of stroke, heart problems, and blood clots are also a huge concern for me since I read on some of these happening to a couple people. I also like to enjoy a cocktail on the weekend so I'm concerned about damaging my liver also.
Quote from: aniya on July 18, 2012, 04:38:00 PM
The possibility of stroke, heart problems, and blood clots are also a huge concern for me since I read on some of these happening to a couple people. I also like to enjoy a cocktail on the weekend so I'm concerned about damaging my liver also.
The risks are overstated - unless you are a smoker. Does it happen? Yes, but not all that often. As far as liver damage goes, I drink most weekends and have yet to have a Liver test that comes back with anything but normal.
With your posts, I'm honestly wondering if hormones are for you at all, as you seem to be looking for any excuse to not take them. Haviing been on them for 14 months or so now, I can honestly say I'm glad I did and will never stop.
As with all medications, you weigh the benefits vs the side effects (risks) and make a decision if it is right for you.
Quote from: kelly_aus on July 18, 2012, 04:49:56 PM
With your posts, I'm honestly wondering if hormones are for you at all, as you seem to be looking for any excuse to not take them.
I don't understand how my concerns are coming off as excuses to not take them? I haven't even seen an Endo yet, about to finish sessions with my therapist. I'm sure everyone here had concerns before starting. Decided to post here for clarity and advice, not to make excuses.
Hi Aniya,
the liver damage and blood clots can be pretty much eliminated if you do NOT take oral estrogen but opt for transdermal or injectable, that way it does not have to pass through the liver. Todays forms of estrogen are much advanced and cause minimal side effects. Stay away from older versions such as premarin.
In terms of your equipment working. It all depends what you are looking for. Mine still works, but its different, dare I say better - takes longer though. If you do start down the road of hrt, you can stop if it does not agree with you. Depending on how long you stay on it, the boobs will stay but unless you continue on it for more than a year, the Testosterone will come back.
Good luck with your decision.
Tanya
Quote from: pose007 on July 19, 2012, 06:25:31 AM
Hi Aniya,
the liver damage and blood clots can be pretty much eliminated if you do NOT take oral estrogen but opt for transdermal or injectable, that way it does not have to pass through the liver. Todays forms of estrogen are much advanced and cause minimal side effects. Stay away from older versions such as premarin.
In terms of your equipment working. It all depends what you are looking for. Mine still works, but its different, dare I say better - takes longer though. If you do start down the road of hrt, you can stop if it does not agree with you. Depending on how long you stay on it, the boobs will stay but unless you continue on it for more than a year, the Testosterone will come back.
Good luck with your decision.
Tanya
Thank you Tanya, very helpful! :)