Scarleteen

I’m ftm transgender and 8 months on testosterone. Most people report a dramatic increase in their sex drive within like a week of being on hormones but I still don’t feel anything. I’m not asexual at all and I love the idea of sex but when I’m having sex I’m just not even turned on. I can’t orgasm when I’m masturbating but I can get to the plateau stage where everything gets all sensitive but there’s not really much pleasure at all. I don’t know what to do and it’s really getting me down because I’m scared I’ll be stuck like this (I’m only 18)

Hi zr0191,

You're right that an increased sex drive is a known side effect of testosterone, although some people do find that it takes their body and brain a little while adjust to being on testosterone. Too, the amount of change in sex drive can vary from person to person). There are some other life factors that you might be experiencing that can lower your sex drive. For example, are you going through any major life changes right now (or recently)? Is there something in your life that's causing you a lot of stress? And when you're being sexual with a partner, is it someone you feel comfortable with and attracted to?

I will say that you're not the only trans person I know of who has experienced the "get stuck in plateau phase" during masturbation. It can definitely be uncomfortable, but anecdotally it does seem to go away (or significantly decrease in frequency) after awhile.