Has anyone on here ever decided against srs? I'm not sure I will ever take it that far, but I'm confused what the consequences will be if I don't. Will my libido be nonexistent? Will I lose the ability to orgasm if I stay on estrogen long term?
I understand the desire of many women to have srs, just not sure if I ever will.
Oh, sweetie, HRT and srs have nothing to do with each other. Even after srs you need HRT. You need to have either E or T in your system to be healthy and after srs you'll generate very little naturally. I'm not planning srs, I doubt I'll ever be able to afford it.
After about 18 months on HRT my libido is like any woman's, different, but present. In fact, as I had low T for decade, it's better than ever.
I'm 6mos into HRT and currently don't believe I'll get SRS but I also don't feel forced to decide one way or another. There are a number fine examples these days of successful transgender women in the public eye who have opted out of SRS. It's really a matter of personal choice.
I personally really like Lynn Conway's site generally, including...
her "WARNING" page: http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/Warning.html (http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/Warning.html)
her main page: http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/ (http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/)
There are many more sites these days since hers was first hosted, but the overall information on her site is largely relevant, wonderfully historical, caring/compassionate, tasteful, informative.
tsroadmap wisdom: http://www.tsroadmap.com/physical/vaginoplasty/opinions.html (http://www.tsroadmap.com/physical/vaginoplasty/opinions.html)
... and plenty of other resources and experiences confirm a common general theme that it's not only not required but should not be rushed either, almost something which is best considered after many other transitional steps.
Mod edit- Link Removed due to graphic image TOS 4.
There's even a page on it here
https://www.susans.org/wiki/Non-op