So this is my two years (actually 2+) on hrt (more popular usage) report. Yes, it sounds clinical, and it is meant to be. I have been treated with Estradiol and Spironolactone for two years now. You can compare this discussion to my first year on hrt (One Year on HRT). I will be using the same format.
[Note – This post is meant for a mature readership. I will leave to the reader to determine if they are mature enough. What you won’t find are photos. While some may think them relative to a post where one of the results involved my breasts, I will not contribute to anyone’s fetishisms via visual appearance.]
There are many sites that will give you information of the feminizing effects of hrt. I worked off of this pdf last year, and will do so this year. In addition to giving my present state I will also compare it to last year’s results.
I hope this post will be helpful to anyone considering hrt themselves and will be informative to the general public as I hoped at the beginning of my one year post. The big consideration is that experiences and results differ from person to person. Like some take different forms of the drugs prescribed or different drugs themselves. But, practically all use some form of estrogen and/or progesterone, plus an anti-androgen like Spironolactone.
My 2 year hrt results:
- Breast enlargement – The changes I feel that occurred over this past year is they look fuller if not actually bigger. Still they are my dream breasts (A-cup), so I am satisfied.
- Decreased volume (shrinking) of testes – Definitely. I wanted to give tucking another chance. I became uncomfortable with wearing some of my leggings. Also a few of my skirts were difficult to wear in the wind. There fine in the stillness, but the breeze can easily push the dress into my crotch. The biggest problem was that my testes would not now stay in the inguinal canals. Not even close. They popped right out, where before or even after the first year they would stay in easily in place. Oh well for tucking. I am still not thrilled over it, and it never looked realistic in the first place.
- Decreased sperm production – Same as the first year. Whatever would be produce would wind up in my bladder because of the partial prostate surgery I had. Attempt at reaching orgasm via my penis seen as a oversize clitoris is still infrequent though.
- Decreased libido (sex drive) – First, orgasm via prostate stimulation is still my primary way of sexual satisfaction. It is similar to a female orgasm being a whole body phenomenon with no refractory period needed to orgasm again. It is also a solo affair, making me self-sexual. I have found that there has been a slight fall off of desire for prostate play. As mentioned above my other way to orgasm continues to be far less than using my prostate, but when I do it seems to be longer and more intense, but nowhere near my prostate orgasms in intensity and duration. Actually, it could be that my desires even here are considerably less; although my neck surgery may have caused this further reduction
- Softening of skin, less oily skin – My skin reminds soft and smooth even with less lotion application due to the neck surgery.
- Decreased spontaneous erections – Sometime during this second year period but quite awhile back on two closely spaced days I had some degree of an erection, but certainly not anything close to normal. Somewhat harder than when stimulated. I just found it odd. But, this has not repeated itself for at least six months
- Decreased muscle mass/strength – I think I finally have lost enough strength if not mass to make a difference in carrying out trash and carrying groceries up two and a half flights of stairs. I am not sure I look less muscular especially my right leg. My left has always been smaller due to a motorcycle accident. Same with my left arm. My right never had the mass of my leg because I walked a lot and did some professional bike delivery, which caused the initial muscle mass.
- Slower, thinner growth of facial and body hair – Okay, so I still have serious hair dysphoria. This means more shaving than others might do. I shave my front and privates every time I take a shower which is at least every other day except for post surgery times, but with greater frequency in warmer weather. My thighs are an every other shower affair with the whole leg every third along with my arms. Of course, my face is every day. If there is any slowing or thinning I can not really tell, except lately with my legs. After neck surgery I it was three days after when I notice my leg hair; since I have had a shower and hair was sprouting; noticeable by touch and sight. My back needs less and care than the first year. So, things are mix. My front is slightly better with a bit more improvement with my legs and arms. I have most improvement with my back; sometimes I go weeks without shaving. No improvement on my face, but that is to be expected.
- Decrease in male pattern baldness – No improvement at all. There is an illusional improvement in front because my now long hair catches my eye with less attention going the missing hair in front. I rarely look at the back. But, it is always covered upon going out or receiving visitors, but I do not wear wigs anymore just hats and scarfs. My long hair has given me relief from my androgynous alopecia condition.
- Body fat redistribution (more fat on buttocks, hips, thighs, face) – What can I say—fat in all the right places (except my tummy). I will start once again with my face. Out of all the physical changes brought about by being treated hormonally for body dysphoria created by the mismatch of my assign sex (also assumed to be one’s gender) and the gender I identify as. Up front and center it is. Masking due to covid-19 restrictions has made this less so, but my face is what I often see first in the mirror, and so the focal point for me in the mirror. I am always amazed at the change. When naked my breasts are a very close second. I will say that the rest of my body has followed suit, but with noticeably less change than my face.
Here is a separate list of some of the possible emotional and intellectual effects of hrt:
- Feeling more emotional and more in touch with their feelings – I fully feel like Stephie, not that there was any doubt before, but more center or oriented with life as a woman. This maybe the place with a promise of a full post on feeling like my transition is over. I’m Stephie and that’s that
- Crying more easily – I don’t know if it is more easily done, but my crying is now life centered. In other words I consider them appropriate to the situation. I never did just burst out in tears.
- Mood swings – Mood swings have calm down as my thyroid levels are in the normal range.
- Depression or sadness – A bit connected to my neck surgery in March, but I do not consider this as hormone related.
- Thinking differently, having different ways of looking at things – Intuition still plays a larger role then before I was Stephie, but feels more settled—more at home.
- Feeling “more like myself” when taking a hormone that aligns with gender identity; feeling more comfortable in one’s body – This is more of a normalized feeling. I am just Stephie
So, this pretty much covers what this year of hrt has amount to for me.
[Note – I worked off Nebraska Medicine’s web page on hrt – https://www.nebraskamed.com/transgender-care/feminizing-hormone-therapy, which does include breast development]
1https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/feminizing-hormone-therapy/about/pac-20385096
2https://transcare.ucsf.edu/article/information-estrogen-hormone-therapy
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