No, testosterone isn’t required for libido, else no woman would ever have any. Well, my sexual experience as a man wasn’t huge, but I did meet one or two women with huge libidos!
Testosterone IS required for proper functioning of male sex organs. If you can’t get or maintain an erection you can’t have sex, not properly anyway. This will affect your libido…
Ergo, men need testo for a happy sex life, women don’t.
I no longer have a penis (it’s been so long now it seems weird to say that), perhaps one of the most wondrous things about Dr Suporn’s technique is his magical rewiring. The vulva is entirely sensitive as is the entrance to the vagina and of course the clitoris. Penetration leads to new levels of pleasure…
I suspect if you could prescribe serotonin for decreased libido in women, it would be way more effective than testo, which probably just turns women into hungry man-eaters, steering them towards hunting tendencies rather than gathering, or baking or knitting or whatever they do to relieve the boredom of not desiring sex.
My last testo count was too low for accurate measurement, negligible, and that was pre-op, they don’t even bother testing it any more. My last playtime session with my beloved rabbit was… amazing, but you know, TMI and all that…
No, you don’t need testosterone when you’re post-op. But orgasmic capabilities depend very much on the skill of your surgeon.

Amanda, I’m glad to hear you are approaching this carefully and weighing up the pros and cons. I will stop assuming the roles of schoolteacher and doctor now.
I know not everyone agrees, but it’s my belief that taking estrogen and ever trying to live or present as male again is bonkers.
xx

I hope Penny doesn’t mind me sneaking in here, and I trust she will still respond with her own experience, but here’s mine:
I was on hormones for about 3 years prior to SRS. I could still achieve orgasm, perhaps fair to say not as easily as I used to be able to. Things had definitely shrunk down there, where once was probably average; had I waited any longer for SRS it’s possible that I may have had issues due to lack of donor material. Erections were not what they used to be, and although I could still orgasm, had I attempted any form of penetrative sex it probably wouldn’t have worked very well.
My libido, or my desire to have sex eventually decreased, perhaps due to the reduced sensitivity, I kind of just couldn’t be bothered.
It’s quite hard to explain really, but things were drastically affected in that department; my genitals weren’t functioning like they used to.
Once those bits were removed and my new found hormonal balance had settled down after the op, everything was righted. People will hate me for saying this, but it’s true; orgasms and sex in general is way more earth-moving than it ever had been when I was male-bodied.
If you intend to take hormones and keep your male genitals, be warned, eventually they will cease to function, sexual pleasure will become a distant memory.
Based on my own experience I wouldn’t recommend anyone staying on hormones for much more than 3 years prior to SRS.
You need to know what you want and where you are going with all this before you start hormones.
xx

“I am a strong, muscular man to begin with. If I go on female hormones, will I be a weak woman, or still maintain most of my strength?”
I dunno, I was never very strong and muscley, I doubt very much you would become a weak woman though. Women can be bodybuilders too, estrogen will tend to reduce muscle mass, but if you keep training you will stay muscle-bound, I imagine.
“How do you feel regarding your loss of musculature and/or strength. Please be specific as to what I can expect.”
I definitely don’t have as much strength as I used to, I don’t exactly work out these days... Like I said, I was never much of a hunk so I didn’t have much muscle mass to lose, but my body does generally look somehow “softer”. I feel great about it.
Amanda, I can’t be specific as to what you can expect, everyone is different, your lifestyle will make a huge difference to how much muscle you lose. Many factors affect many variables, this is not an exact science. I guess one could say that your body will “try” to become more feminine. Depending on your age and, well everything really, changes can be quite subtle. Also it’s an ongoing thing, your body changes every day, you just don’t see it, likewise the differences when you take estrogen are accumulative, an evolution; it takes years to see some of the changes.
“I realize your bone structure may not change, but as the skin thins, can the male nose appear somewhat smaller or more feminine in appearance without rhinoplasty?”
No, your nose won’t change a bit. Do you have a very muscley nose?
And may I ask a more serious question, why do you want to do this; do you wish to “go all the way”?
xx

An entirely personal opinion:
I wouldn’t recommend hormone therapy if you just want your body to “look more feminine”. Hormones are not just about appearance on the outside, they will change your body from within, entirely alter your body chemistry. Your sexual function will soon be seriously impaired, eventually it will be destroyed. Your skin will change, your strength and stamina will be reduced, your breasts will grow to a size that no-one can predict. If you continue to present as male, people will notice. You will need regular medical supervision, annual blood tests to check your health. It’s a huge undertaking, a massive lifestyle change, it will do more than make your body appear less masculine, or more feminine. My personal opinion is that estrogen should only be taken by men who want to BE women, not men who want to look more like one. But that’s just my opinion.
What does your wife think of all this? How would you feel if she took testosterone to make herself less feminine and more masculine? How about if her personality changed, if she began to act and feel more manly? If she grew a beard...?
Hormones are not like a skin cream or a beauty treatment, they change your whole body and you can’t be selective about which bits you want to change. In short, if you want to live the rest of your life as a woman then hormones may help, otherwise, they won’t. Your male genitals need male hormones to function, to even stay healthy. Estrogen will effectively cause testosterone production to cease. A few years down the line and it won’t be looking good down there…
Do not take hormones if you simply wish to change your appearance. If you stop working out your muscles will turn into fat and maybe that will be enough to achieve what you want. If you take hormones you will become weaker all over. I don’t know how strong you feel you need to be to protect your family, but I’d tentatively suggest that you can’t have it both ways. You can’t have a feminine looking body with masculine strength, and of course, as an effeminate man, you potentially make yourself a target.
Estrogen is not for transvestites/crossdressers, it should not be taken by men. Estrogen is for women. I hope this doesn’t sound patronising, it’s not intended to be; but in my book it’s a golden rule.
Here endeth the sermon.
xx

I always feel the need to look at people’s profiles when they ask questions like these, as I think hormones are not for everyone, and personal cir***stances and/or motivation for wanting to try hormones should be a crucial aspect of their decision.
I see Amanda that you are a straight married man, hobbies include weightlifting…
Without beating around the bush, I tend not to think hormones are right for straight married men; they WILL affect your virility, they will probably cause some shrinkage too, eventually. Prolonged use will probably lead to sterility, sexual function will definitely be impaired, although after 4 years on hormones I could still achieve orgasm, perhaps with a little more effort. (I’m post op now, the ability to achieve/maintain erection is no longer required, and thanks to my surgeon I can orgasm like wow&hellip
It’s my belief that you don’t need testosterone to orgasm per se, but you do need it to maintain a healthy erection, which is where the problem arises, or not as the case may be… your testosterone will be reduced so you’ll start having problems.
If you really are into weightlifting you should also be aware that muscle mass will seriously decrease.
In answer to some of your other questions:
“How severe can the hormone therapy cause blood clots, liver and gallbladder cancer, seizures, etc?”
If you take the safer forms of estradiol (17-Beta or estradiol valerate) all of the above are extremely low risks. Choosing one of the safer delivery methods ie gels, patches or injections if you know how to do them, the already negligible risk is theoretically reduced further.
“If I go on hormone therapy, am I considered a transexual?”
Eeesh, bit philosophical… Um, I’d say you are a transsexual if you consider yourself to be one. If you want to “go all the way”, hormones, surgery, everything, you are probably transsexual. If you’d just like some boobs to play with then maybe not.
“What effects does it have on your complexion…”
Softer skin all over, may make facial skin less greasy. Skin gets thinner, bruises more easily.
“…and will my male nose appear smaller?”
No, not unless you have surgery on it.
Noses are one part of the body that continue to grow until we die. Estrogen doesn’t have direct effects on bone structure, and probably not on cartilage.
Hormones do make a big difference though, life-changing, and they shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. I generally don’t think they are right for married crossdressers, especially if they enjoy a healthy sex life. If your wife approves, and you know exactly what you are getting into and you both realise that this will make irreversible changes to your life then my advice would be, always, research the subject. Seek medical supervision, but understand what you are taking. Above all, the question you should ask yourself is why do you want to take them.
xx

ps Cristine, would you like to move this thread to Hormone City?

This post was edited by Lucy Diamond at June 8, 2011 2:17 PM BST

Hi Nexy,

Yes one can get aroused after SRS, one can still orgasm after SRS, it's quite different, and something I feel privelidged to have experienced "both ways".

Of course, sensitivity and ability to orgasm depend mostly on the skill of your surgeon. If you can afford to have a choice, choose carefully.

xx

Welcome to the site, and please don't take it personally, but I'm afraid I have to strongly disagree with you, Kelligirl Fantasy. Women do not need testosterone for libido. Women produce trace amounts of testosterone, as do I as a post-op. My libido is just fine thank you very much, my testo level is practically zero.

 

How can women "need" testoserone for libido when they produce such tiny amounts. As I've said, if that were the case no woman would ever have any libido.

 

Maybe healthy estrogen levels mean a healthy libido, maybe there are other factors, but the concept that women need testosterone to desire sex is a myth.

 

xx

This post was edited by Lucy Diamond at August 10, 2011 12:36 PM BST