#eunuch

I am always asked “What is it like to be castrated?” I ran across an old Castration Blog from a trans woman and thought I would share with my followers:

http://sherrylanina.tripod.com/castrationeffects.htm

Castration Safety

Castration is more economical when done safely and patiently

Every now and then I read or hear a news story in which a so called ‘cutter’ is arrested for performing a castration surgery even though he is really not a doctor.  These arrests often occur immediately after a castration surgery on one of his clients goes awry.  I also hear of persons who tried to castrate themselves, and then needed expensive treatment. Very often the client was in desperation and was willing to obtain his or her orchiectomy at all costs, even if the price turns out to be one’s own life.

But does this surgery really have to cost everything?

Why should only a doctor perform this surgery?

Any type of surgery needs to be performed by only a qualified doctor.   There are many things that can easily go wrong with any surgery, and a competent doctor can work to keep the risks of surgery to a very small minimum.

Cutting deep into any area of the body is going to rupture some blood vessels and cause bleeding.  The genitals in particular have many blood vessels, and one false move by any surgeon or non-professional cutter will cause dangerous bleeding.  A surgeon is trained to minimize this risk, but a cutter is not.  Most people who attempt do-it-yourself castration have no medical training.  Once you start bleeding heavily, you may rapidly go into shock, and find out that simply lifting the phone to call 911 may be very difficult or impossible.  You might not be able to obtain treatment, or help may arrive too late to prevent your death from hemorrhage.

If you do survive the blood loss, you face extreme risk of infection. Any serious wound in the genital area is very likely to become infected.  Again, a licensed doctor can perform your orchiectomy while taking sanitary measures to reduce the risk of infection. The doctor who performed my castration also instructed me to start taking Cipro antibiotics starting two days pre-surgery through the fifth day after. Cutters tend to perform their castrations in less sanitary conditions such as their own homes or motel rooms. Some persons who were castrated by cutters or tried to do it themselves developed infection even after seeking treatment for hemorrhage.

Another thing to consider is pain control.  A doctor will at the very least administer a local anesthetic to numb the area.  This is necessary for the castration surgery, because that area of the body is particularly sensitive, and the extreme pain may put you in shock even before blood loss does.  Those who have cutters perform castration tend to report more pain during their procedure.

Even with non-invasive methods such as crushing testicles inside the scrotum, you would still suffer severe internal bleeding and require emergency treatment.  I’ve read about one person who injected acid into his testicles to cause castration, and he also caused life-threatening infection and gangrene.  There is no safe do-it-yourself method of castration.

Who are cutters?

Cutters are actually non-medical persons who perform castrations and possibly other surgeries on consenting but often desperate clients. They do not have medical training, and they cannot perform the procedure as safely as a competent physician could. Sooner or later one of their clients suffers excessive bleeding or another complication that requires emergency treatment, and then the local authorities arrest the cutter.

Pain control is less reliable than with a licensed surgeon, and there is greater risk of potentially deadly complications.  Going to a cutter is not a safe alternative to going to a physician.

But I don’t have the money for Dr. Kimmel or any other doctor, and it’s too far to travel. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to castrate myself?

You will not save money by do-it-yourself castration, and will probably pay much more!

One of the common reasons that persons try to perform castration on themselves is because they believe they would never have the funds for going to a doctor.  Dr. Kimmel in Philadelphia charges $2000 but requires no therapist letter. Several surgeons will perform orchiectomies for transsexuals who are transitioning and receiving HRT.  When travel and boarding costs are added, even if you are a non-transgendered male, you should be able to obtain a safe orchiectomy by a competent physician for around $2500.  But if you try to do it yourself…

The ambulance ride alone would cost you hundreds of dollars.  Even if a friend or relative takes you there, you will owe many thousands in hospital bills.  Most of those who try to castrate themselves end up being admitted to the hospital for multiple days while the doctors deal with severe bleeding and often infection.  Hospital expenses easily exceed $1000 per day.  Insurance policies typically exclude coverage for self-inflicted injuries ‘whether sane or insane’.  If you survive the experience, you will pay much more for do-it-yourself castration than if you had gone to a licensed physician.

Do-it-yourself castration will cost you more than just money

Attempting to castrate yourself or having an unlicensed cutter do it may even cost you the ultimate price: your life.  Wouldn’t you prefer to continue living after your castration so you can experience the serenity of no testosterone?

In addition to the high monetary cost and the risk of your life, you will also have to face the embarrassment of explaining to the doctors and nurses.  Chances are, you will meet doctors and nurses who are not so open minded about this, and you may even face ridicule.  You might end up having to disclose this to relatives and friends.

Several times a year I hear of a news story about a cutter being arrested after a recent client of his developed life threatening complications, and very often the client is also mentioned in the same news story.  Would you want yourself and your motives disclosed to the media?  Some transsexuals have been outed this way.

Another thing I want you to consider is that the medical staff at the hospital where you seek treatment will likely try to reattach your testicles if you have succeeded in severing them from your body.  Many of those who attempt do-it-yourself castration fail, either because they inflicted life-threatening trauma on themselves before they detached both testicles, or because those doctors who provided emergency treatment managed to reattach their testicles.  You might fail to castrate yourself, yet still have to pay thousands of dollars and all the non-monetary costs for treatment of your attempt, meaning that all your pain and efforts got you nowhere.  Then the only things you might gain are hospital bills and a lot of embarrassment.

Money is not the real issue.  I wish to be castrated a certain way.

I notice that some people who seek castration wish to have it done in a certain manner, such as by a woman, or done in some sort of scene, and place little or no emphasis on their life after castration.  If you have merely thought about how you want to be castrated, and have not thought about your life after castration, then you seriously need to reconsider why you seek castration, and what long term benefits you would gain from the procedure.  The castration procedure will be so brief, yet the aftereffects of it will remain for the rest of your life.  Castration is so much more than merely removing testicles from the body.  This results in profound changes in sexuality, emotions, and your overall life.  Please read my Castration Effects page as well as my Castration Factors page and seriously consider what your life will be like without testosterone or fertility.

But I heard about somebody who went to Dr. Xxxxx for castration, and yet they almost died from complications.  Is it really safer to go to a licensed surgeon?

The risks of orchiectomy or any other surgery will never be absolutely zero.  Even the best doctors will have a very small rate of complications.

I am a transitioned woman who has not yet had her SRS but is now investigating all her options, so lately I have read accounts from many women who recently had SRS surgery with various surgeons.  While most of the reports have been positive, and some of them overwhelmingly so, I have also read some very negative reports from patients who suffered complications after having surgery by almost every SRS surgeon on the planet.  Even the most reputable surgeons in North America have had a very few patients die shortly after their surgery.  If the surgeon is competent, his or her complication rate will be much lower than that of unlicensed cutters or the person who tries to do surgery to themselves, so the licensed surgeon remains the safest option for any surgery.

One thing you will need to consider is if the benefits you would obtain from castration or any other surgery are worth taking the very small risks of complications.  I would not reject any surgeon just because one patient died in his hospital, particularly if that patient was a smoker or already had a health condition that they tried to conceal from the surgeon.  Some surgeons have had their reputations unfairly tarnished because a patient was already committing risky behavior or did not follow the surgeon’s instructions.  If a particular surgeon seemed to have a greater rate of complications than other surgeons, then I would hesitate to use such a surgeon.  Every surgeon has at least a few dissatisfied patients, the question is whether that surgeon has an unusually high number of unhappy patients.  If one surgeon seems to you to be incompetent, then seek another.

When you see a surgeon for castration, or for any surgery, you need to work with your surgeon to reduce the risk of complications.  Your surgeon may instruct you to take antibiotics, or to rest for a certain amount of time before returning to work.  Following the instructions of your doctor will greatly reduce the risks of post-surgery complications, particularly of infection. In addition, factors such as smoking or excess weight may increase the likelihood of complications, any you can increase your chances of a successful surgery by not smoking, or quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight.

I live in the city of Xxxxx.  Is there anybody here who would perform my orchiectomy?

Depending on where you live, you may have to travel some distance to obtain your orchiectomy.  I traveled from Fayetteville Arkansas to Philadelphia Pennsylvania to obtain my own orchiectomy.  Obtaining your dreams and the improved quality of your life will take some effort, and part of that effort is travel.  I traveled all the way to Thailand so I could obtain a safe and affordable vaginoplasty.

However, even if you don’t live in Philadelphia, you might not have to travel far.  Most doctors won’t perform orchiectomy on a healthy male, but once in a while somebody gets lucky and finds the right surgeon. Transsexuals who are transitioning seem to have more options for surgeons, since a very few doctors would perform orchiectomy on someone who has a therapist letter and has already been on HRT for a while.  There are two possible ways that some patients have found a doctor near their home.

1. The therapist who writes your orchiectomy letter, or other     transitioning transsexuals in your area might be able to refer you to a specific     surgeon, most often a urologist.
2. Some persons with a thick skin have     looked in the phone book and called up all the doctors listed until they     found someone who was willing to perform their surgery.

One very good friend of mine tried these methods and found a surgeon to perform her orchiectomy in the city I currently reside in.

Many persons from all over the USA, Canada, and outside the USA have E-Mailed me asking if I knew of a surgeon in their area.  If I have not listed any surgeons in your city on my Castration surgeons webpage, that means that I either don’t know of anyone in your area, or there might be a doctor there who does not wish to have his or her name disclosed on any internet site.

My hope

In the days before the internet, when I didn’t know of any doctors who would be willing to perform orchiectomy, I often thought about trying to remove the unwanted parts myself.  When I had my surgery in 1999, Dr. Spector was the only surgeon that I knew of who would do this surgery. During the past several years, I have become aware of a few more doctors who would be willing to perform orchiectomy for those of us who are making the transition from male to female, but unfortunately options remain limited for non-transgendered men who would simply live an improved life without testosterone.  It is my hope that doctors will be more understanding, and that there will be more surgeons who would provide a safe orchiectomy for all persons (both transitioning and not transitioning) who would benefit from this surgery and have an improved quality of life.

I am always asked “Why were you castrated?” I ran across an old Castration Blog from a trans woman and thought I would share with my followers:

http://sherrylanina.tripod.com/castrationeffects.htm

The Why of Castration

Castration is not  right for everyone.  In fact, it is proper for only a very small  percentage of the total population.  The vast majority of men are happy with  their genitals and the male hormones in their body, and most would indeed  become anxious if anyone ever suggested the removal of their testicles.  Many men would feel suicidal if anything ever happened to their penis or  testicles.
 
 For the tiny minority of people who truly desire orchiectomy and would  benefit from it, there are several reasons why they would do this.  I  and some others who seek castration are not really men at all and have the  feelings that we are women inside.  Others are men who seek relief from  powerful male sex drives that have seemed to run their lives out of  control.  Less often there is the man  who cannot otherwise find  relief from testicular pain, or a person seeking castration for religious  reasons.
 
 So why did Sherry  seek castration?
 
 Both the male sex drive and the hormones that feuled that sex drive  contradicted my inner sense of self.  Not only did I dislike the  physical effects of testosterone, such as facial hair, body hair, and lowered  voice, but the mental effects of male hormones also bothered me.  I did  not at all appreciate the male sex drive that nature had provided me, and as  I grew older I seemed more prone to anger and feeling irritated, while  testosterone seemed to dull my feelings and emotions overall.
 
 I had learned in my high school biology class about the function of testicles  and ovaries.  If only I could somehow remove or shut down those  testicles.  Females have their reproductive systems inside their bodies  while males have theirs outside, and I felt very uncomfortable about having  mine outside.  But testicles can’t be converted to ovaries, so the only  solution is to cut them off.
 
 My sex drive was actually no worse than average, and probably a little less  than average.  I felt the first traces of libido when I was 13, but it  seemed to remain mild compared to my peers.  I had my first nocturnal  emmision at age 15, but I did not have any voluntary orgasms until I was  20.  Still, I did not like what libido I did have, and felt that I was  fortunate to not be driven as much as my male classmates.  I could never  understand why the boys in my high school seemed so proud of a sexuality that  I despised.  One evening I got caught outside in a thunderstorm while  delivering fliers for an auto mechanic, and I wished that one of the  lightning bolts would hit me between the legs and destroy everything that I  had there.
 
 My  libido did increase some around age 20.  By that time I was  often thinking about somehow getting rid of my male genitals and ways I might  accomplish that.  Sometimes I would think about slicing them off at  home.  But anyone who performs a do-it-youself castration or penectomy  will likely bleed to death or suffer serious infection.  If you would  truly be happier without testosterone, please have a doctor safely remove  your testicles.
 
 Around Christmas of 1996 I suffered a painful sinus infection which seemed to  take all of my energy and knocked out my libido for a time.  Though I  felt so miserable about the infection, I did like the impotence.  After  I cleared the infection with antibiotics my libido returned, much to my  disappointment.  But it did not return completely.  My libido  remained reduced through 1997 and I noted that the less sex drive I had, the  better I felt about myself.  Was there any way to be impotent without  being ill?  Maybe my libido was finally starting to decline with age,  and I wondered if I could somehow speed up the decline.
 
 My libido finally returned to its former level in 1998, and that really  disappointed me.  Would it ever fade away?  I obtained my online  connection in September, and then my gender issues surfaced in  November.  I suddenly realized that maybe I could find a castration  doctor on the internet, and I soon found Dr. Spector’s website.
 
 Doctor Spector performed my orchiectomy on April 13, 1999 when I was 31 years  old and caused one of my dreams to come true.  In just a matter of days  my libido faded to only a fraction of what it was.  Prior to castration  I masturbated once daily, sometimes twice, and I was able to stop altogether  after castration.  At the same time I was overtaken by a constant  serenity, and things seemed to not irritate me as easily.  While I  haven’t yet put the proper female hormones in my body, I have at least  eliminated the improper male hormones.
 
 As a person who wishes for a female body, I also needed the assurance that my  body would not become any more masculine while I saved up the funds that I  needed for electrolysis and other transformation costs.  Meanwhile I  enjoy the benefits of a much weaker and controlled libido while feeling more  calm all the time.
 
 Why do some non  transgendered males want to be castrated?
 
 EXCESSIVE LIBIDO - Some men as well as some transgendered persons seek relief  from an out of control libido.  Castration often has dramatic effects on  the male sex drive, particularly if the person does not take any hormone  replacement afterwards.  I’ve heard of men masturbating four or five  times daily before castration to a couple of times per month after the  surgery.  Some men have gone from wanting too much sex for their wives  to not wanting it often enough.  Sometimes a eunuch will take enough  testosterone after their surgery to maintain a moderate amount of sexuality.
 
 CHRONIC TESTICLE PAINS - I hear many men suffering from this complain that  their doctors just don’t understand their affliction.  Some men have  obtained relief from castration, but then they have to accept all of the  other effects of castration such as impotence, infertility, loss of energy,  and loss of strength.  I sympathize with those who face the difficult  choice of dealing with testicular pain or accepting the results of castration  in exchange for relief from this pain.
 
 RELIGION - Some persons believe that castration will bring them to their god,  or that their god might even demand it.  The person must ask themselves  if they will really be content with their religion for the rest of their  lives, because people have departed from religions but you can’t change your  mind about having been castrated.
 
 I myself once believed that I was supposed to remain and act male for my  religion, but I found no happiness in my beliefs and I was even thinking  about how I might kill myself.  After I gave up practicing my religion,  I had to deal with additional years of masculinization which I had allowed in  the name of god.  Please be very careful about what you do (or refuse to  do) with your body for any belief system, because regardless of your beliefs  and whether or not you change your beliefs, you will have to live with the  consequences of whatever you do with your body.
 
 CASTRATION AND MUTILATION FETISHES - Some men feel sexually aroused by the  thought of castration, penectomy, or other mutilation.  Unfortunately  the reality of castration eliminates the erotic fantasy of it, and it is  probably best that this remain a fantasy.
 
 Too often a person with this fantasy either goes through with the reality, or  unintentionally gets castrated in an S/M scene.  In a matter of days or  even hours the sex drive fades to almost nothing and the new eunuch finds  that they can no longer enjoy their fantasy which has now become  reality.  Strength and energy decrease, and the eunuch feels devastated  as he feels that he has lost his manhood and realizes that he is forever  infertile.
 
 Some regretful eunuchs take testosterone replacement, but many find that it’s  just not the same as being on their own natural hormones.  Libido may  remain low in spite of the shots, while some eunuchs can’t maintain steady  hormone levels with the shots and suffer from mood swings. Testosterone  replacement is unsatisfactory for some, and I know of a few eunuchs online  who refuse hormone replacement even though they regret their  castration.  Once you go through with orchiectomy, you will never be the  same again.
 
 A small percentage of persons with a castration fetish turn out to be happier  as a eunuch.  But castration must be approached with extreme caution,  and you must be absolutely certain that you really want the effects.
 
 NULLIFICATION - There is a small percentage of the male population which is  not transgendered at all, yet they do seek to have their entire male genitals  removed.  As there are transgenderists who are happy living as women  without the sex reassignment surgery, there are also a few men who are  happier without a penis.  These men are different from those who merely  have a castration fetish.
 
 While transsexuals often accuse these men of ‘playing transsexual’, most men  seeking nullification do not consider themselves transsexual or  transgendered, and many in fact despise being labeled such.  Less often  someone will try to convince these men that they are transsexuals in  denial.  While I really don’t understand these men I do believe that a  few persons are indeed happier with having no genitals and should be respected  for their unique feelings and desires without being compelled to identify  with any particular group.  Not everyone will feel the same or seek the  same goals as you or I.
 
 MISCELLANEOUS - Castration is certainly not the solution for problems such as  male pattern baldness or men seeking infertility, because it has so many  other effects.  There are drugs which can arrest baldness and birth  control can be had by vasectomy which will not affect hormone levels (yes,  I’ve seen one person seeking castration merely for birth control and balding  men asking about castration).  If you are happy being a male and like  your sex drive and energy, then castration is not for you.

I am always asked “What is it like to be castrated?” I ran across an old Castration Blog from a trans woman and thought I would share with my followers:

http://sherrylanina.tripod.com/castrationeffects.htm

Castration Effects

The elimination of testosterone causes a variety of physical  and emotional effects in each person.  Many of the effects are common,  although they do vary from person to person.  The effects can be a  blessing to those who wanted castration yet devastating to those who don’t  really want to become a eunuch.
 
 I went without any hormones for more than two years since my castration and  can testify to the effects.  However, each person is unique and your own  effects, particularly regarding changes in weight and hot flashes, may turn  out to be very different from mine.  I do focus on what I myself have  experienced between the time of my castration and the day I started taking  estrogen, yet I have included the experiences which I have heard from many  others, because not everyone will have the same effects that I had, and some  will experience things which I did not.
 
 DECREASED LIBIDO -  One of the first things I noticed in the days  following my castration was the drastic decrease in my sex drive.  I was  hoping for this to happen, and it happened quickly.
 
 My sex drive did not go away entirely, but it did decrease to a weak  level.  I have experienced what most eunuchs have also experienced: my  libido is under control. I went from masturbating once daily (sometimes  more) pre castration to not at all post castration.
 
 I still have  occasional nocturnal erections at night, and less often I even have orgasms  in my sleep.  About half of these are dryorgasms while the others are accompanied by only a small amount  of clear fluid.  Otherwise I don’t feel aroused unless I want to.  Many eunuchs also report being in complete control of their sexuality.  If I did want to get an erection I could, but it would take more  effort.  I don’t have erections only because I don’t want them.
 
 Eunuchs who do remain sexually active usually have sex much less often, but  report that when they do it is more special, and some of their spouses feel  the same way.  Because the eunuch does not arouse so quickly, he can  take more time on the foreplay and afterglow.
 
 INFERTILITY - One thing is certain: castration will make you infertile, and  this effect is absolutely irreversible.  It is still possible to orgasm  and even ejaculate, but your body will no longer produce any sperm.  Any  ejaculation that does occur will be clear and probably in smaller amounts.
 
 The only way to reproduce after castration is to bank some sperm prior to  castration.  I opted not to do this, because I do have gender issues to  deal with and I am relieved that I don’t have to put a wife or any kids  through this.  Both of my parents were outcasts in school, and I too  suffered from outcastism.  I don’t want to bring any children into this  cruel world.  Since I can’t reproduce the female way, I won’t reproduce  at all.
 
 FEELING CALM - Four days after my castration I was walking across downtown  Philadelphia to meet someone new, and as I walked it seemed that waiting for  traffic lights and other little annoyances did not bother me so much.  Was this an effect of castration?  Six days post castration I returned  to work.  This workday was unusually hectic becuase it was a Monday and  the plant had just installed some new lines but didn’t yet know how to run  them smoothly.  All of this happened while I still felt some pain where  the surgery was done, and yet I still felt so calm when the day was all  over.  I was definintely feeling the effects of castration and most  certainly felt better all the time without testosterone.  Ten days post  castration I felt as a feather floating around everywhere.  I just kept  feeling better and better.  For me the serenity was the strongest of the  castration effects, followed by the decrease in libido.
 
 POST SURGERY DEPRESSION? - Many eunuchs who do in fact benefit from  castration do experience a temporary depression shortly after their  surgery.  Many people go through this depression after any  surgery.   Interestingly I did not experience this at all.  I  did feel depressed on the fifth day after, but that was because I left Philadelphia  that day and was leaving behind several newly met friends, and I usually  experience that feeling upon returning home from any overnight  vacation.  I experienced the same thing five months later when I  returned home from a trip to my relatives in Phoenix after meeting some  transgendered sisters there, and I also feel this whenever I start driving  back home from an electrolysis sessions in Dallas.  These post-vacation  depressions do feel stronger since my castration, so I think the lack of  testosterone does allow more emotion to surface.  I never suffered any  depression directly related to castration.
 
 HOT FLASHES? - This definintely varies from person to person.  Some  eunuchs have written about sweat dripping off of their head at random times,  while others seem to have no problem with this.  I was one of the lucky  ones in spite of not taking any hormones, as I experienced nothing more than  feeling a little warm occasionally.  I did lower my thermostat a few  degress that first summer.  Later on I did feel cold a little more easily  as my metabolism slowed, and became more sensitive to variations in  temperature.
 
 LOSS OF PHYSICAL STRENGTH - I was not expecting this at all because I had  little upper body strength to begin with, yet I was noticably weaker after a  few months.  Even before castration it often amazed me that all of my  male peers seemed to have much more strength than I, and I felt as if they  could just push me around as they wished.  Now I am definitely weaker  then before.
 
 I got into some trouble at work seven months post castration when I was  expected to do some heavy lifting and found it to be more difficult than  before, though I never should have been put in that position anyway because  of my obviously small size.  Eventually I transferred out of that department  and I now work where nobody expects me to lift anything.  Any heavy  lifting wears me out much more quickly than it used to, and I also have  difficulty with opening jars.
 
 The more muscular you were before castration, the more you will lose after  castration.  As testosterone levels drop, muscle mass does decrease.
 
 DECREASED ENERGY - In addition to losing physical strength, a eunuch will  often experience a decrease in metabolism and energy.  Doing heavy  lifting and other efforts do wear me out more quickly than before.  I  also feel chilly more easily than before and have become more sensitive to  small changes in temperature.
 
 WEIGHT GAIN? - The few sources of informatin about castration that I could  find indicated that eunuchs tended to put on some pounds after castration as  energy decreased and metabolism slowed.  I did experience the decrease  in metabolism and energy, but my appetite seems to have decreased with  it.  Consequently I have actually lost a few pounds since  castration.  Before castration I used to average around 130, and I  weighed 134 at the end of 1998.  But I did lose a few pounds after  castration, and now I average around 125.  The amount of weight gain  will vary from person to person.
 
 BODY HAIR - Many eunuchs have reported that their body hair became softer and  finer after castration.  This is something else that varies from person  to person.  I hoped for mine to decrease, but this is one effect that I  have not been fortunate with.  I have noticed some decrease in body hair  density, though not as much as I had hoped for, and it has been more than two  years now.  Still, I am passable as long as I shave the hairs on my  hands and wrists, as my body hair is still above the female average, but I  have seen women with more arm hair than what I have.  Even those who do  experience significant thinning of body hair usually experience little or no  change in facial hair densitiy.  My own facial hairs remaied as dense  and numerous as before, but they did seem to grow more slowly after  castration.  Underarm and pubic hairs did not change with castration  either.  I am currently getting electrolysis to lose the facial hairs,  and I hope that eventual estrogen replacement will thin out my body hairs  some more.
 
 PHYSICAL APPERANCE - As testosterone levels drop, muscle mass either fades  away or turns into fat, and some fat redistribuion occurs.  The more  muscular you were before castration, the more you will lose.  I didn’t  have much to lose, and I lost some anyway.  My limbs do appear smoother,  and my friends in my PFLAG group tell me that my arms do appear  feminine.  My hips appeared more flabby a few months after castration,  and I think that was the first purely physical effect that I noticed.  However, the body will not feminize to the same extent as if you were taking  estrogen.  Bone size does not shrink, but bone density can decrease.
 
 HEAD HAIR - I started to lose my hair when I was only 19, and this continued  unabated until my castration at age 31.  Since my castration I don’t see  so many hairs on the shower floor anymore, and the elimination of  testosterone has prevented further hair loss, but I have had practically no  regrowth of all that I lost before castration and will certainly need a hair  replacement system for transition.  Hairs not affected by baldness have  grown thicker and longer.  If you did not suffer hair loss before  castration, it is very unlikely you will ever go bald after castration unless  you take testosterone replacements.
 
 Castration is a bad idea for anyone merely seeking to treat or prevent hair  loss because it causes so many other effects that the vast majority of men  dislike.  Using Finasteride or Minoxidil can arrest most cases of MPD  without causing the effects of castration.
 
 VOICE - Contrary to popular belief, the voice does not rise after  castration.  Not even female hormones will raise the voice (although  male hormones will lower the voice), and even voice surgeries have been  mostly unsatisfactory for the male to female transsexual.  Non  transgendered men seeking castration don’t need to worry about their voice  because it will not change, but transsexuals and transgenderists will need to  retrain their voice to sound more feminine.
 
 SHRINKING GENITALS? - I personally have not noticed any shrinkage of my own  genitals, but many eunuchs have reported that their penis did shrink after  castration.  It seems that those who have no erections at all after  castration were most likely to notice genital shrinkage.
 
 MENTAL EFFECTS - Toward the end of 1999 I noticed some decline in my memory  and concentration, and I also became disoriented more easily.  Many  eunuchs and post-menopausal women have also reported similar effects.  Upon starting a low dose of estrogen in November 2001, my memory has improved  to what it was before castration.
 
 HEALTH RISKS - Many eunuchs not on hormones experience decalcification or  loss of bone density.  Males tend to start out with stronger bones (than  females) before castration, but once hypogonadal they can lose bone density  as any post menopausal woman.  The younger a person is castrated, the  greater the risk.
 
 Some sources cite increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and digestive  problems, but I have seen dsiagreement among different sources.  While  there may be an increased incidence of such problems in eunuchs and post  menopausal women, the only thing I’ve seen proven without a doubt is the  increased risk of osteoporosis.  Eunuchs may wish to study the issues of  post-menopausal women as they face many of the same issues.
 
 Anyone considering castration and not planning on taking any hormones  afterwards needs to consider the possible risks of hypogonadism and determine  if the benefits of castration for them will outweigh the disadvantages.  I was aware of the risks beforehand and I determined that I wanted the impotence,  serenity, and other effects of castration badly enough to take these  chances.  To date I have not had any bone density scan done because even  if I did find a problem I still would not take testosterone replacement since  I am too happy without male hormones.
 
 UPDATE: On November 6th, 2001, with the help of a certain therapist, a doctor  in my area has now started me on a low dose of Estradiol.  I still  retain the benefits of castration such as reduced stress, impotence, and  feeling calm.  I felt a lot better after castration, and now I feel even  better on estrogen.
 
 My cholesterol levels have remained at healthy levels.  My blood  pressure was normal and healthy before castration, averaging 120/80, and this  decreased after castration.  Now two years post castration my blood  pressure averages around 100/70.  I strongly suspect that castration did  reduce my blood pressure, though I am not sure if it was a direct reaction or  if because I was emotionally antagonistic to testosterone (please do not get  castrated just to reduce high blood pressure, there are less drastic ways to  treat that).  I do not smoke or drink, so I feel that I don’t need to  worry too much about the other possible risks besides bone density loss.
 
 I did start taking 1200mg Caltrate daily starting the week after my  castration.  Some eunuchs perform weight bearing (not weightlifting, but  walking and running) exercises to help maintain bone density.
 
 If there are health risks, there are also a few trade offs.  Once the  testicles are removed, it is impossible to delelop testicular cancer.  Castration also decreases the risk of prostate cancer, and some men have an  orchiectomy performed to treat this cancer.  The younger a person is  castrated, the lower their risk of prostate cancer.  I had my orchiectomy  done at age 31, so my odds of ever getting prostate cancer are now  astronomical.  Best of all, my stress levels have been reduced after I  eliminated the testosterone from my body and I think that decreases the  chances of a variety of ailments.
 
 Curiously I did experience an increase in dental cavities the year after my  castration.  I am not sure that castration had anything to do with that,  though it’s possible.  For now I believe that was a random fluctuation  in dental cavities which may have happened to me anyway were I not castrated.
 
 In summary castration causes a variety of effects.  For those who wish  castration many of the effects such as impotence and feeling calm can be  beneficial.  If you are thinking about castration I would urge you to  consider all of the effects and whether or not you really want this for the  rest of your life.  Castration is a minor procedure, but it is a  permanent one and is something you can never change your mind on.  You  need to proceed with caution.

I thought my followers would like this AMA post I saw on Reddit regarding castration, so I’m sharing. There are a ton of Q&A’s so click the link to read:

https://www.reddit.com/r/casualiama/comments/372ui9/i_am_a_28_year_old_castrated_male_i_got_an/

I am a 28 year old castrated male. I got an orchiectomy in Thailand 2 years ago. AMA.(self.casualiama)

submitted 2 years ago by castratedmaleama

Ever since I was 11 or so I was plagued by an intense libido.  From age 11 to age 18 I was masturbating 5 times a day.  Back then I thought it was just a temporary thing and that after I finished puberty I would adapt to my hormone levels and my sex drive would lower to a more manageable level.  

Throughout my university years, my sex drive remained just as high.  I still kept thinking that in a few years time, my sex drive would drop off and I just needed to wait a little longer.

When I turned 25 and there was no significant decline in my sex drive I knew I had to do something.

Before I go on though, I should probably emphasize just how much my insanely high libido was affecting my life.  When I was in middle school and high school, going the school day without masturbating was a feat of heroic difficulty and many days I caved and masturbated in the bathroom stall.  Regardless, the first thing I did when I got home was masturbate, which I would do no less than two more times before (quite often more) I went to bed.  I always masturbated first thing when I woke up as well.

My sex drive and the required masturbation that went along with it completely controlled my life.  When I got my first “real job” after I got my degree, I only had a 45 minute lunch break.  I lived half an hour away from where I worked so there was no way I would have been able to drive home, masturbate, and get back to work on time.  So what I did was I ran out of the building, got in my car, drove into the parking lot of an abandoned store that was 15 minutes away, masturbate, and go back to work.  This left no time for me to actually eat lunch, other than maybe scarf down some packaged food that I had ready in my car.  

There were major decisions that I made in my life that I made in order to maximize my opportunities to masturbate.  The main reason I didn’t do any extracurricular activities in high school was because I needed to get home ASAP and masturbate.  I thought about joining the military but one of the reason I opted not to was fear of lack of opportunities to masturbate, especially in boot camp.  One of the reasons I dropped out of the first university I attended was so I could go to a university close enough to where I could live at home (where I would have more opportunities to masturbate) and commute to class.

I know it sounds like I’m exaggerating but I’m being as honest as I can.  

I really didn’t get much pleasure out of masturbation due to doing it some much and being circumcised.  It was more of a relief thing, something I needed to do to return to a short lived sanity.  I was pretty much like a drug addict.

Getting to the point, I decided the only rational thing to do would be to get castrated.  I found a surgeon on the internet in Thailand, paid less than $3000 and got both of testicles surgically removed.

The surgery most certainly worked in the sense that it lowered my sex drive astronomically.  My sex drive went from a 100 to a 2.   Interestingly, my nonsexual romantic desire for women also plummeted,   going from a 100 to about a 10.  Before, I always masturbated right before bed and imagined myself snuggling with a girl after, now I almost never masturbate before bed and instead of fantasizing about having a girl with me, most of the time my mind is just filled with random thoughts.  

Other changes include feeling far less anger, complete loss of most fetishes, finding a much smaller pool of women physically attractive and a change in the type of woman I had a preference for.  I also have a lot less motivation and energy in general.  In terms of physical changes I have a lot less body hair, my facial hair growth slowed down (though not nearly as much as my body hair growth did) and I have a lot less muscle mass.  

So AMA.  

There are a ton of Q&A’s so click the link to read:

https://www.reddit.com/r/casualiama/comments/372ui9/i_am_a_28_year_old_castrated_male_i_got_an/

https://imgur.com/a/wSNTa