I'm so close to starting hormone replacement therapy, I'm signing off on the delivery for the medicine today. I'm FTM, 22 years old. I need to know how much this is going to affect my chances of having biological children a few years from now? I don't plan on having surgery, I just need an answer if this will make me sterile permanently or not. Or if it only stops my fertility when I'm taking it, and I can ween myself off t if I plan on starting a family.
Do you have a gynecologist?
No. I don't even really have health insurance, I pay for hormones out of pocket.
The reason I asked was this. Obviously if anyone here as been involved in a similar experience, they can share based on that perspective. But, what they are is individual data points. I would think and hope that a gynecologist would have a broader range of information based on their practice and from information in the medical journals.
Usually I would suggest that folks check into services offered by their local LGBT center as a number offer initial medical help and sometimes even on a sliding scale. However, I looked up your current location and unfortunately it looks like you are some distance away from any metropolitan area.
Do you have any idea where I can go to find this information?
I would do an Internet search with a search string something like this:
transgender resources near me
You could also use that name of a town, county or state instead of "near me" or "LGBT" instead of "transgender".
You might also just search for regular gynecologists and pose the questions that you have. Perhaps they can steer you to someone with the specific answers to your questions.
Part of the Transgender Pregnancy page in Wikipedia:
<h2><span id="Trans_men" class="mw-headline">Trans men</span></h2>
Pregnancy is possible for transgender men who retain a functioning vagina, ovaries, and a uterus.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference">[1]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-Laboroflove_2-0" class="reference">[2]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-Advocate_3-0" class="reference">[3]</sup> Regardless of prior hormone replacement therapy treatments, the progression of pregnancy and birthing procedures are typically the same as those of cisgender women. However, trans men who carry pregnancies are often subjected to a variety of negative social, emotional, and medical experiences, as pregnancy is regarded as an exclusively feminine or female activity. According to the study "Transgender Men Who Experienced Pregnancy After Female-to-Male Gender Transitioning" by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference">[4]</sup> there is a lack of awareness, services, and medical assistance available to pregnant trans men. Inaccessibility to these services may lead to difficulty in finding comfortable and supportive services concerning prenatal care, as well as an increased risk for unsafe or unhealthy practices. Additionally, the study also exposed that some individuals reported having gender dysphoria and feelings of isolation due to the drastic changes in appearance which occur during pregnancy, such as enlarged breasts, and due to changes in public reception of their gender identity. Researchers also found that prior use of testosterone did not affect pregnancy.
Testosterone therapy affects fertility, but many trans men who have become pregnant were able to do so within six months of stopping testosterone.<sup id="cite_ref-Berger_5-0" class="reference">[5]</sup> Future pregnancies can be achieved by oophyte banking, but the process may increase gender dysphoria or may not be accessible due to lack of insurance coverage.<sup id="cite_ref-Berger_5-1" class="reference">[5]</sup> Testosterone therapy is not a sufficient method of contraception, and trans men may experience unintended pregnancy,<sup id="cite_ref-Berger_5-2" class="reference">[5]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference">[6]</sup> especially if they miss doses.<sup id="cite_ref-Berger_5-3" class="reference">[5]</sup>
<h3><span id="Statistics" class="mw-headline">Statistics</span></h3>
According to figures compiled by Medicare for Australia, one of the few national surveys as of 2020, 75 male-identified people gave birth naturally or via C-section in the country in 2016, and 40 in 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference">[7]</sup>