Could testosterone levels affect cross-dressing?

[Valerie Nova]

I read a journal article recently, that discussed measuring testosterone levels in a colony of Rhesus monkeys. They found that lower-status males had lower testosterone levels than the dominant males, which stands to reason. However, the interesting part of this was that if the dominant male was removed, and another took his place, that new monkey would have his own testosterone levels rise as a result. This implies that monkey and human males' testosterone levels can potentially be affected *by our own perception of our status within a group*. (There was also the possibility that dominant males had more sex than the other males, and that affected testosterone levels, but I believe they controlled for this somehow. I don't have access to the journal right now to look it up.)

Then I realized that my own perception of my social status seemed to strongly correlate with my desire to cross-dress throughout my life. Or rather, I felt more female, the less control I felt I had over my own life. Granted, that's just me, but I'm curious to see if others here might feel the same way.

The other thing that leads me to suspect testosterone could play a role, is that most cross-dressers tend to dress up the least, during periods of their lives that are associated with high testosterone levels, and vice versa. That is, it's common before puberty, less common after, and is often the least frequent during college years, (around 18-25) when testosterone levels are particularly high. Then, cross-dressing seems to become more common after 30 or so, as testosterone levels drop. The same is true of sex drive as well. We already know that sex hormones can have significant effects on our behavior, and this could be another instance of that.

I'm not 100% sure that I'm right about this, but I think there could be something to it. Theoretically, a cross-dresser who wished he didn't want to cross-dress, might have a particularly low testosterone level, and a doctor could prescribe something that would raise it.

But of course, those of us who are just fine the way we are can always just keep doing what we're doing.

[Beverley Sims]

You may be right my testosterone level has always been low.
Just means I do not have an excess of body hair and no male pattern baldness.

[EllenJo]

You may be onto something Valerie. I have kind of noticed the same pattern. My crossdressing diminished when I was promoted at work and had huge responsibilities. When the program lost it's funding and I was out of work, it was all I thought about. Now that I am pushing 60 I dress more and think about it all the time. This would make a great sociology paper for someone's PhD thesis.

[NicoleScott]

The other thing that leads me to suspect testosterone could play a role, is that most cross-dressers tend to dress up the least, during periods of their lives that are associated with high testosterone levels...

In the quote, I placed "most" in bold (not the OP). For those crossdressers not included in "most", I wonder if the opposite is true. That is, if some crossdressers dress for sexual excitement, would their desire to dress be higher when testosterone levels are higher? Not agruing against your point, just wondering about the "other than most" CDers.

[Nyla F]

It's hard to tell if the crossdressing pattern based on age is due to testosterone or other things like it taking a while to come to terms with ourselves and family life (less opportunity, more denial, with kids around). Also, you describe testosterone levels as a cause, but it could also be an effect. I'd like to see a study to find if T levels go down when crossdressed.

[Aly Cat]

Also, you have to think that in many species, the males are the ones that put on the colorful displays while the females would be colored in a more drab appearance. This goes on sometimes in mating rituals and sometimes the males are super colorful all year round. Could it be that some of us may feel the need to crossdress to attract a mate even though it goes against social norms? Is there something deeper driving us? True it could be testosterone levels, but maybe its highs and lows. Lows would be submissive but highs could be more showy and flashy for attraction going based off of dominance. Just a thought.

[Laura912]

Personally zilch correlation with T levels. Also, how would you reconcile this question with the several threads that ponder the increase in dressing during retirement when one is usually older which generally correlates with lower T levels which generally correlates with the sun rising and setting which correlates with the planet turning which correlates....where was I?

[Robbin_Sinclair]

Personally zilch correlation with T levels. Also, how would you reconcile this question with the several threads that ponder the increase in dressing during retirement when one is usually older which generally correlates with lower T levels which generally correlates with the sun rising and setting which correlates with the planet turning which correlates....where was I?

I've given some thought to how I would feel if I took a 25 dollar little blue pill (Viagra) and could dress. For me, though, it is opportunity, means, desire and an element of controlling my world as a gentle person, the one who I hope to be the rest of my life. Robbin is the quiet one on vacation. Not my nagging sister, Rachel. She is my male side.

Commenting on this particular reply, yes, AN old man in a very hot climate with a loving wife and plenty of T level could "turn" cross dresser. I believe I am attracted to it for an opportunity to wear pretty fabrics but there could be a need to .... find a mate or just interact socially with other people. With CD I have the world open to me for sexual fantasies but also to be a part of every person on earth because I am a little bit like them.

I am in a strange place, a hostel. Nobody knows me in this part of New Orleans. For breakfast among these children I will come with my best LBD, hose and ballet slippers. Perhaps a little make up just to look less red...okay maybe a little eye liner and something to give my lips color. I will walk down there. Nobody will probably say anything. There will be sideward looks but no confrontation is expected. I love this kind of passive socializing...or is it control?

[Frédérique]

Then I realized that my own perception of my social status seemed to strongly correlate with my desire to cross-dress throughout my life. Or rather, I felt more female, the less control I felt I had over my own life. Granted, that's just me, but I'm curious to see if others here might feel the same way. The other thing that leads me to suspect testosterone could play a role, is that most cross-dressers tend to dress up the least, during periods of their lives that are associated with high testosterone levels, and vice versa. I'm not 100% sure that I'm right about this, but I think there could be something to it. Theoretically, a cross-dresser who wished he didn't want to cross-dress, might have a particularly low testosterone level, and a doctor could prescribe something that would raise it.

There may very well be a connection between testosterone and MtF crossdressing, but, like most things that are employed in an attempt to “explain” why we crossdress, conditions may vary, or things are more mysterious that even we were led to believe...

I must be careful not to associate testosterone with aggression, nor must I trot out the “T” word when sexual potency is being discussed. Crossdressing definitely puts a lid on any aggressive male tendencies I may wish to express, so I employ it as a tool to that end. It works wonders. However, I’m not that typically male (or aggressive) to begin with, hence my penchant for wearing women’s clothing – what am I trying to express, anyway? Does my crossdressing indicate consistently low testosterone levels, or am I merely trying to balance the scales in a novel fashion (pun intended), as I suppress the male for the benefit of the alleged female inside of me?

You can see things that way, but I get the feeling (and only I would know) that testosterone is alive and well, operating on all cylinders within all the tissues of my body (and mind), and, through my crossdressing, I am merely seeking a kind of temporary relief. HE needs a rest, so he becomes she for a little while. Later on, after the ball, he returns to his male identity and does THAT thing, albeit modified by his frequent trips to the promised (feminine) land. The testosterone is there. I can attest to that, and this may be why I have no desire to actually become a female, as many others do. Also, I can safely say that when I’m crossdressed I feel MORE in control, and not vice versa, so this may help to explain why I keep dressing. It’s a subtle thing, in any event...

[Amanda M]

I usually feel more in control of my life when dressed.

[Annaliese]

That may be true, but I don't think it has anything to do with CDing, I will be 60 next week and my T levels are on the high side of being normal.

[Jenniferathome]

but when the lower status monkey became the dominant monkey, did he stop wearing dresses?

Well, that one aside, nothing has changed for me since I was 8. Humans are not equivalent to monkeys or apes in these kinds of experiments. Our social structure is quite a bit more sophisticated.

[I Am Paula]

. Our social structure is quite a bit more sophisticated.

Gotta disagree there. Monkeys don't fight wars, blow up athletes, or molest children. Their social structure is fine. Ours is going down the tubes...fast.

[Jenniferathome]

Gotta disagree there. Monkeys don't fight wars, blow up athletes, or molest children. Their social structure is fine. Ours is going down the tubes...fast.

"sophisticated" does not mean moral. It means complex.

[Gillian Gigs]

I would think that to better understand this issue we would have to compare all of our hormone levels and how they fluctuate within a cycle. Both men and women produce "T" and "E" within their bodies, so when one decreases does the other one stay the same, increase or decrease? Some guys get "man boobs" as they get older, and it is supposedly the result of decreased "T" levels. Does that mean that the "E" levels have increased, or is it just that the "E" level now has more influence on the body? Can hormone levels change through external situations? If that were so, then I would think that there would be much more chatter on this site about what non medical things we could do to decease our "T" levels while increasing our "E" levels, etc.

[Barbra P]

I’ll be seventy this coming August and I’m told my T-level is quite high (589.1 on a scale of 193 – 740) for someone my age and that is after taking Finasteride for several years. Due to possible health risks associated with a high T-level my health provider has mentioned estrogen therapy to counter the high T-level.

[Karren Hutton]

Due to my tumor issues and hormone problems over the last decade I have a fair amount of test data that confirms my suspicions that my urges to crossdress go way down and go away when my T levels DROP... left for almost 10 years and only returned when successfully treated for my brain tumor... and prolactin secretions which blocked T... guess I'm strange but you didn't need test results to already know that? lol

[Loni]

there is no comparison of a group of monkeys to a group of humans.

we do not live the same way as wild animals. no do we have the same "pack" hierarchy going on.

i for one know my "T" is high, never been low. and i am not a leader type.
yet i spend more time in a skirt than drab.

Loni

.

[Laura912]

Of course if one wants to one could look up the habits of the Bonobo monkey...they are all mixed up.