Help needed. Your experiences with Hysterectomy?

[Cloe]

Hello everyone!

 

I'm new here, a queer female from Greece, and i'm writing this post on behalf of my boyfriend, who is a trans man still transitioning. He doesn't have the time and knowledge of English to post so i'm doing it for him. I'm sorry for any grammar/dictionary mistakes.

So i'm going to give you some background on his transitioning to understand the situation better.

 

He started his Hormone Therapy before a year and a half, he is 36 now. He is taking the HRT with gel, not injection (his endocrinologist insists on that), with no estrogen blockers, and he is on half the recommended dosage because the full dosage gives him bad and continuous migraines. The theraphy also has messed up his vision in his one eye and he is currently looking for a doctor for treatment.

Lately he has started to have serious thoughts of having a Hysterectomy (he hasn't done any surgeries yet) because he is afraid of ovaries/cervix/etc cancer due to atrophy/inactivity from not having a period (i do not know if i have described it with the right words, this is the best i can do). Of course he is going to talk with doctors about the removal and what are the cons and pros of the operation, and i have read that there is a long list of the cons. He does have dysphoria although not strong enough to have bottom surgery and he is very concerned about his health, and will not risk his health more, for transition. But the most he cares about is his libido and sex responce, and he doesn't want to risk losing or even lowering sensation or the intensity of his orgasms. He is thinking to stop his HRT in some years from now, maybe 2 or 3, when he reaches a point with enough changes on his body and face, like more facial hair, he seems like a teenager now with those very fine hair that are now coming out. He already likes what he sees though. And his voice has dropped enough.

Taking HRT for many years is risky for him because he has already have difficulties in 1and half years of taking it and with half a dose (migraines, bad vision).

 

So the thoughts and the problem are these:

a) Say he goes for Hysterectomy. He must take hormones for ever. But hormones are complicating his health. And the operation may mess up his libido and sex responce.

b) Say he doesn't do it. He is afraid of cancer. And he also doesn't like the idea of having period again and mood swings once he stops the HRT in some years.  But he also will not be messing with his sex drive, which he is overly afraid of losing.

 

Sooo can you provide us with any experiences on that? And did any of you have any problems with your sex drive and sex life in general due to hysterectomy? This is VERY important to him.

 

Thank you for any responces!! 
If i have posted it in a wrong section i'm sorry, please move it where it should be.

 

 

[TrIIIy]

I am a trans man who had a hysterectomy several years ago. It has not affected my sex drive or arousal at all. I had the surgery before I started testosterone, and I went through an early menopause because of that. That was not fun, but I don’t know whether or not that would happen since your boyfriend is already on testosterone. Not having to be on hormone blockers is great for me. And never having a period again is fantastic. Still, if your boyfriend has health issues because of testosterone, he might not want the surgery. It’s just my experience that a hysterectomy made my life easier.

[Dinaki]

Hello from a Greek who resides in US dear CLOE.

 

I am post op (since Acropolis was built?) and I would love to chat with you both.

I wanted to comeback home this past summer and that stupid covid didn't let me. I still have my suitcase in this room all packed up staring me.

 

I had my operation in Athens with Dr. Kontoros back in 1977 (okay now, don't laugh, I am not that old) ?

[Cloe]

@TrIIIy Thank you so very much for your point of view and experience It is a complicated decision he must make and we want to talk to as many people as we can and hear personal stories, before talk to the doctor. But we will see, he still has to raise money for the operation, if he decides to do it, so we have plenty of time to think about it.

 

@Dinaki Heeey! ^^ How many years do you live there? We would love to chat with you of course! Not laughing of course, you look beautiful, how old did you say,  i'm sure it's 28, right? ? 

[DonkeySocks]

There's quite a bit of hysterectomy results info from cis women on the Internet; probably it trends more negative because people feel like they need to talk about negative experiences more. Two women in my family and one professional that I spoke to had hysterectomies and were pleased with the results from the point of view of cis women. But there are negative experiences out there too. It is major surgery, of course. Just in case you want to check out some forums or something where it's not transgender-specific, but it might go into emotional, physical, and sexual repercussions. Not that there's anything wrong with asking here, you just might get wider results.

Specifically, your boyfriend should talk to his doctor about cervical cancer risk. If he's worried about that, and has his cervix removed, it could affect enjoyment if he enjoys cervical stimulation. If he's not using that part of his anatomy for sex then that might not be a concern. But if he enjoys any touch on the cervix then it might dull sensation or he might miss it, if it's removed.

Also, if he keeps his cervix he really should be screened for pre-cancerous cells the way anyone with those organs should be. It's not fun because of dysphoria, not to mention it not being pleasant anyway, but he has to have it done on the schedule the doctor recommends.

[DonkeySocks]

5 hours ago, Cloe said:

He does have dysphoria although not strong enough to have bottom surgery and he is very concerned about his health, and will not risk his health more, for transition.

P.S. Just thought I'd add, I'm the same way. You can tell him there's others of us out here!

[Cloe]

We thought of asking for more specific experiences and opinions here, because a cis woman's experience, i believe, will not fit exactly in what he is experiencing. So he prefers fewer but more close to his situation experiences. Yes, losing cervix stimulation will not be a good thing for him. He will have to think very carefully.

 

Also did you have any dryness situation? He has lots of fluids when aroused and he is afraid that hysterectomy will mess up this too.

My ex (also a trans guy) had this problem, 5 years on T and he is experiencing dryness and is very frustrating for him during sex.

[Cloe]

12 hours ago, DonkeySocks said:

P.S. Just thought I'd add, I'm the same way. You can tell him there's others of us out here!

That is why i decided to write here, so that he will feel included and could take advice from more experienced people on his journey ?
Thank you!!

[DonkeySocks]

The dryness problem is inevitable, hysterectomy or not. Some time or another he's probably going to have to deal with that. When he can afford to do so, he can experiment with different lubricants and see which ones he likes. I think there's a tendency to use too little lube. Also, I haven't had a hysterectomy myself, but I do have this problem, and I find that using specific positions can help along with using lots of lube. Also hopefully not TMI, but having an orgasm before penetration can help.

[Cloe]

Hmmm ok. Hearing all that he is thinking of stopping the HRT really soon. It is a very difficult decision but he is thinking about it.

We know for sure that the voice will not go back to how it was before. But what about the body changes? Do you have any idea?

[DonkeySocks]

 

11 hours ago, Cloe said:

But what about the body changes? Do you have any idea?

 

He should ask his doctor before making any decision, but here's what I was able to find:

 

Here's a link to a pdf about the hormone process for ftm. On the left is a table of contents; click on "Are these changes permanent?"

https://d31kydh6n6r5j5.cloudfront.net/uploads/sites/161/2019/08/hormones_FTM.pdf

 

Also I found the following list on the ftm hormone page on Wikipedia:

Reversible changes

    Increased libido
    Redistribution of body fat
    Cessation of ovulation and menstruation
    Increased musculature
    Increased sweat and changes in body odor
    Prominence of veins and coarser skin
    Acne (especially in the first few years of therapy)
    Alterations in blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides)
    Increased red blood cell count

Irreversible changes

    Deepening of the voice
    Growth of facial and body hair
    Male-pattern baldness (in some individuals)
    Enlargement of the clitoris
    Growth spurt and closure of growth plates if given before the end of puberty
    Breast atrophy – possible shrinking and/or softening of breasts

 

Hope that helps!

[DonkeySocks]

If he's on T for a while yet this might be relevant:
"When undergoing cervical cancer screening, be sure to share that you're on testosterone therapy and make sure that the gender designation on your sample is disregarded. This kind of therapy can cause your cervical tissues to thin (cervical atrophy), which might mimic a condition in which abnormal cells are found on the surface of the cervix (cervical dysplasia)."--Mayo Clinic website

 

This is about making sure that a doctor performing the screening doesn't get a false positive for problem cells. However, note that T may cause cervical atrophy, so if your boyfriend is concerned about that, it might be in his best interest to stop T sooner rather than later, depending on what his doctor says about the effects so far and what's expected for his body if he stays on T.

[Cloe]

Wow thank you very much!!! You are lovely and very helpful!
We will do some google search ourselves and after talking to doctors he will decide what he wants to do.
Thank you again!!! ?

 

[DonkeySocks]

You are most welcome, Cloe! Glad if it's been helpful. I wish you and your boyfriend the best and hope everything works out great for his transition and his health.

[Jackster]

I had a hysterectomy 25 years ago.  My sex drive is very high so having the surgery didn’t effect this.  Having multiple O is same as before surgery. 

I don’t have atrophy either, even after all those years.  And in fact my GYN said this area of me is extremely healthier then most my age.  

To be honest, after the surgery I felt more accepting of the body I was in. It was the most amazing experience to never have a menstruating cycle again. So the freedom for me was the best experience in my life!