Testosterone Paradox

[Guest perlitarose]

In 2001 PBS-NOVA run a program called "SEX UNKNOWN," at their web site they asked TG, TS, and other GID's people to post their stories. I was reading the postings of 8th November 2002 when I came across a very interesting posting that was signed by "DC." Briefly it said DC was a TS/TG since childhood, got SRS, and a few months after SRS lost her femaleness. After a few years living as a male, she requested testosterone injections. Then to her surprise she recovers her femaleness. She was very puzzle at this paradox. Here is a quote from her posting:

"After a year of living as a man once again, I was finally able to get them to prescribe injectible testosterone, and this is where things get interesting. Well, maybe you'll think so. Maybe not.

I've been doing these injections for approximately two years now, and I've noticed an interesting pattern emerge. Prior to the testosterone injections, I had no feelings of femininity left, I had completely lost the desire to wear women's clothing of any kind, and I actually agonized over the loss of my male genitalia, which for some strange reason seemed to represent to me whatever chance I had at a normal future.

Now another two years later, it seems as my testosterone levels get higher, the more I desire pretty, frilly feminine things all over again. When I was living female, I really could not have cared less about my wardrobe, and for the majority of the time that I was living female I lived in jeans and t-shirts. I almost never wore a bra. Now with normal(?) male testosterone levels in my system, I feel horrible if I can't wear one"

Recent advances in biomedical research related to GID can explain this paradox. The basal nucleus of the stria terminalis is a small nucleus at the base of the brain that is responsible for gender orientation in humans. In males there is twice as many cells as in females or as in MTF. During development and in order to be masculinized this center needed extra estrogen. Yes as astonishing as it may sound the masculinization of the stria terminalis is driven by estrogen. In the genetic female fetus there is estrogen and a little bit of estrogen, not enough to masculinize the BST nucleus. In the male fetus there is the testosterone and a bit of estrogen. In the male BST nucleus both the estrogen and testosterone are internalized inside the cell, then an enzyme called aromatase transform the testosterone into estrogen, and this estrogen masculinize the BST. It is speculated that in some MTF GID fetus the aromatase is defective and thus not all the testosterone is converted into estrogen and thus the BST fails to be masculinized. It is possible that DC has an estrogen receptor defect in her BST, and thus the only source of her estrogen is via the conversion of her testosterone to estrogen by her also defective aromatase.

I hope "DC" could read this post, and more important that knowing the source of pardox would bring some validation to her feelings

Love,

Perlita

[Guest Donna Jean]

Thanks, Perlita...

That's really weird....

But your explanation makes it understandable...

Strange how that works, though!

Huggs

Donna Jean

[JJ]

That is interesting!

I wonder if it won't be discovered as research progresses that many trans persons have hormone anomalies. I know that I could never get pregnant until I got on the pill (once my marriage got really bad I knew I didn't want to get pregnant so started on the pill)and they had a struggle to find one that I could tolerate. Don't know if it is related but they could also never get a normal PAP on me. Not precancerous-just not able to test due to cell abnormalities. I never had one while I was on the pill so I don't know if that would have made a difference. Finally just gave them up-which I would never recommend but for me it was a waste of time and money. And stress since I always got a letter to see my Dr. Who hadn't seen a result like it and didn't have a clue. This started almost 40 years ago.

I know there are some differences in the body chemistry between MTF and FTM (besides the obvious ones!) but it will be interesting to see where research leads.

JJ

[Guest perlitarose]

Hi, Donna Jean and JJ,

Thank you for posting. I know that this thread is not as exciting as shopping at Victoria secret, but it is my pasion to find out just how I ended up with a girl's brain in a boy's body, which hopefully will soon be corrected, LOL

OO