Myths About Testosterone and Fertility, Told Through Three Perspectives

Title- Testosterone and Fertility. Images of three faces, labeled, “Me, hoping to be pregnant soon,

I’ve heard so many different things about testosterone and fertility. From the news… and from my doctors. Image of a spiral with me overwhelmed at the center. Around me are faces saying, “You’ll be infertile,

Titled Roman’s Story. The story begins when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I said, “I would like a full hysterectomy. My periods are painful, I don’t want kids, and I’m afraid of cancer returning.

Roman’s Story continued. I was told I was giving up something because of my transness with no consideration for my disinterest in having children. 4 months after starting testosterone I said, “I need a hysterectomy because of endometriosis related pain.

Titled: So what do we actually know about testosterone and fertility? Lots of people who have taken testosterone have become pregnant and birthed babies. There is no evidence testosterone impacts fertility long term. Image of me and Kayden Coleman. I say, “I didn’t have a period for 4 years and got it back a month after stopping testosterone.

Titled: Kayden’s Story. Image of Kayden holding his daughter. He says, “I found out I was pregnant five and a half months in. I’ve been offered more abortions than I’ve been offered information about fertility. There’s a history of trying to keep trans people from having kids.

I am talking with Dr Resetkova. I say, “If the research suggests testosterone just pauses things, why do so many doctors think it makes us infertile?

From WPATH’s Standards of Care, “Many transgender, transsexual, and gender nonconforming people will want to have children. Because… masculinizing hormone therapy limits fertility (Darney, 2008, Zhang, Gu, Wang, Cui, & Bremner, 1999), it is desirable for patients to make decisions concerning fertility before starting hormone therapy.

Title: My Story. Testosterone is a life saving medication for me. But sometimes I avoid my shot. Why? A pie chart that is mostly black and a tiny sliver white. The black part is labelled, “Testosterone fertility anxiety

I am saying, “I wish there were a clear study that showed if long term testosterone use had any impact on fertility. In the mean time, the false assumption that T causes permanent infertility is harming our community.

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Titled: Kayden’s Story. Kayden says, “Here’s one example of what I experienced when I was pregnant this year. My doctor had called the clinic to tell them I was coming and that my pronouns are he/him…

Titled: So, What do we need? Access to information! Understanding how racism and transphobia intersect (and then taking action!) Image of Kayden Coleman saying, “A Black trans man’s experience differs tremendously from that of a white trans man.

Sources: Interviews with Kayden X Coleman, Roman Ruddic, and Nina Resetkova. Conversations with JB Brown and Miles Harris. Thank you. WPATH Standards of Care 2011 “A Mouse Model to Investigate the Impact of Testosterone Therapy on Reproduction in Transgender Men

Correction: The map indicating states that require sterilizing surgeries vary depending on whether an individual is obtaining a gender change on a driver’s license or a birth certificate.

For driver’s licenses, eight states require proof of surgery (but not necessarily sterilizing surgeries), court order, or an amended birth certificate: Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Iowa.

For birth certificates, fourteen states require a sterilizing surgery in order to change the gender marker: Arizona, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and New Hampshire.

You can learn more about identification documents requirements from the Movement Advancement Project.

Will Betke-Brunswick

Will Betke-Brunswick is a trans and nonbinary cartoonist. They make wacky and enthusiastic diary comics, informational comics, and funny comics. Their graphic memoir is coming out in 2022!