HRT & Birth Control

[Emily83]

My beautiful wife (pre op MtF) has been on HRT for just over 4 months now. We've been told (100%) that she will become sterile.
So... my question. Can I / will I be able to stop taking the birth control pill?
Does anyone have any experience in this area?
Obviously I will discuss with my GP before making any decisions. I was just trying to do some research. I haven't been able to find any info about this particular circumstance. I know I'm not the only gg married to a trans woman. Why can't I find answers.
Any who... any insight would be appreciated.
Thanks ♥♡♥

[arbon]

There is always that slight one in a million chance.

[LeaP]

Best course is to have a sperm count check at some point.

[Nigella]

Err this is a little strange IMHO

I would assume that she is also on T blockers? If so surely erections would be non existent so birth control would not be a problem :confused:

Of course the other side could be that she is only on E to get the benefits of growth only

[I Am Paula]

Sorry Nigella, I'm on Androcur, the queen of all t blockers. If I try hard enough, I can get an erection. I don't know, but I assume I'm sterile, but only one way to find out. I personally don't do anything that fertility is an issue.

[Nigella]

I was fortunate that I did not need T blockers prior to surgery, my T levels were at a woman's level for one my age. The thing that springs to mind though Celeste is that you have said
If I try hard enough. If you wanted an erection, how hard would you need to try?

This type of thread does make me wonder about the commitment of some. I know that on the occasions that I got an erection I was really, really uncomfortable

[LeaP]

I don't know, Nigella. Any number people have reported retaining the ability after starting blockers. Plus, assuming this "pre-op" is actually transitioning, that could take… who knows?… years? The concern sounds prudent to me.

[sandra-leigh]

HRT has different effects on different people. I gather that for some people, the libido remains active enough for continued intercourse to be practical.

If my memory serves me, in the case of one of the "men who gave birth", the transwoman of the pair had been on HRT for some time and had been told months before that she was definitely sterile... but it happened anyhow. "Sterile" can mean a very low sperm count with weak sperm, but keep in mind it only takes one reaching its target.

Myself, I went through at least a year and a half during which I had no interest in anything physical, and visual stimulation did not do anything for me, but during which I still liked to read erotic stories. The first time that changed and I became interested in doing something physical was at the same time that my estrogen level was quite high, above what most ovulating women would reach, but below the maximum safe limit for ovulating women. My T level was, at that time about 1/3 of the lowest normal level for adult women. So by traditional biochemical interpretation, I should not have been able to have a physical reaction, but I did. These days I do have physical reactions; it is doubtful that there is any viable sperm present, but I would not rule out the possibility.

With regards to commitment: when your personal support circle consists of one single person who lives a thousand miles away, and when you are going through a really rough time, a bit of self-love might be all that is standing between you and checking yourself in to a hospital.

[Angela Campbell]

Just speaking for myself, I do not know if an erection is possible, but there is absolutely no desire for one and If I did get one I would probably not be very happy about it.

Then again I would think until a Dr confirms complete sterility it would make sense to be careful.

[Patrice_CD]

I woke up from a good sleep early one morning with an erection. I was horrified! I had no clue I could still have one. I felt very uncomfortable. It has happened on occasion but not very often. Usually I get up, go to the bathroom and all is well again. As far as sperm count goes, I was told my numbers were in the range of non-detectable. But that wouldn't mean something was there and could cause damage in the right environment. Just saying, things happen.

[Badtranny]

I haven't had testicles for over a year yet I am still able to maintain an erection all the way to orgasm with no problem.

There is no fluid of course but it's extremely pleasurable nonetheless. There was a time about a year into HRT when erections were physically uncomfortable but that time has passed, and they were never emotionally uncomfortable.

...but then again, I am a bad tranny.

Emily, if the wife wants to keep the twig then just have the berries removed and your problem is solved.

[Kate T]

I don't have any human experience in the area (my experience is all with getting animals pregnant!) but for what it's worth here is what I can tell you:
1. Fertilisation requires a live spermatozoa and egg. That's it. It doesn't need the various ancillary equipment other than to get these two items into roughly the same location. Whilst erections improve penetration of the vagina and deposit spermatazoa closer to the cervix thus increasing their chance of reaching the egg, this is strictly speaking not necessary. Hence the old "withdrawal" technique of birth control is not exactly highly effective. spermatazoa deposited within the vaginal vault have a chance (albeit slim) of traversing the cervix and traveling up through the uterus to the fallopian tubes to reach the egg.
2. It would appear from some research that whilst initiation of spermatogenesis requires threshold levels of testosterone, it's continuation may only require significantly lower (app 1/10th) those levels. Additionally testosterone is bound in the testicles under the influence of androgen binding hormone such that levels in the testicles can be significantly higher than blood levels.
As a consequence I would say that the only way to be 100% guaranteed that your wife cannot produce sperm and fertilise you would be either to have a vasectomy or surgical castration. That being said, given that testosterone levels were constantly low enough and repeated ejaculate samples had zero sperm counts then you are probably pretty safe!

[Sarah V]

Folks, keep in mind this one simple fact of life, (one that unfortunately too many teen's learn all to often the hard way), to wit: A guy and lady do not have to have penal - vaginal intercourse to get the female pregnant. Just having pre-ejaculate seminal fluid (pre-%$#- if you will) beginning to emerge from the opening of the male penis so that it comes into contact with the female's vaginal canal opening, while both partners are engaging in some form of sexual play (think of the couple engaging in "humping" or for a TG couple "tribalism"), can (and certainly has), led to sperm still present males pre-%$# finding their way into the ladies vaginal canal and then taking the life changing swim up-stream. No actual classical penetration ever took place, but voila! the result a few weeks later is that the female becomes pregger's.

Remember, it only takes one (1) little sperm'y-worm'y to get the job done and for accidents to happen!

Again, I would agree with what someone said earlier, and that is if the TWoman member of the couple is taking enough HRT and Anti-Androgen blocker's then her sperm production (however I am not sure about sperm potency or sperm motility) is going to be greatly reduced in the TWoman to begin with,...but maybe not enough.

So, I agree with what was already recommended, I would make sure your spouse gets her sperm count & sperm motility tested regularly until you, your spouse, and your doctor's are all sure, and the laboratory tests confirm, that her sperm counts are all negligible.

Until then, Ms. Emily my strong counsel to you would be to indeed stay on your preferred method of birth control. If I were a GG lady, that is what I would be doing.

[Leigh Wyndham]

Well,,

Here is what I learned from my first endocrinologist. Gee,, I have had an endo. since I was 13 or 14, I think. One third of the total testosterone is, in a chromo. male, produced by the adrenal glands. Unless the chromosomal male is on corticosteroid therapy indefinitely, the adrenal glands will continue to produce testosterone until death or until the adrenal glands are removed or destroyed. Now,, that being said,, I hope no one will ever consider taking cortisone or having their adrenal glands removed just to reduce circulating testosterone. You need your Adrenal Glands to live!

Testosterone blockers do not block all effects of testosterone. So, this is what I have learned from my endocrinologist because I have to take corticosteroids the rest of my life and I can tell the difference the reduction of adrenal testosterone has caused. I had an orchiectomy years prior to SRS. I now have a fraction of the circulating testosterone of a chromosomal female. In my opinion, too little "T" makes for a difficult life.

Leigh

[AveryS]

A couple of things to add:
1. Not all trans women hate their penises. Dysphoria takes many shapes and there are many other things we can dislike about ourselves as they relate to gender without having our genitals. I've lived with my penis for 38 years. I've gotten pretty good with it, and it creates pleasurable feelings... Wy do I need to hate it?
2. My hormone levels have been in female ranges for a long time, with very low testosterone as a result of HRT. I don't get random erections, morning wood, etc. but it still functions great when I need it to. However, sex does feel different and requires significantly more mental arrousal than just physical... And part way through, if I suddenly get distracted, it can go away.
3. It can take quite a while to become sterile, but a lot depends on the blocker you are using as well. They all have their own effects, positive and positive ;) confirm with a semenalysis befor assuming someone is sterile. (I had a vasectomy long ago so the HRT has no impact... Or maybe kills that 1 in a million chance :)

[kimdl93]

It seems that there's a simple test to determine her fertility.

[Nigella]

As the OP has not been on the forum to respond the this thread it is closed. To the OP, PM a moderator if you wish to respond to the thread.