Genuinely, it is gender affirming care. It’s replacing sex hormones their body won’t produce naturally, to counteract effects that are existentially devastating to their psyche.
They don’t wanna say that low-T as an older man feels like gender dysphoria. But have a conversation with a trans guy and an old man about testosterone levels and masculinity and self-image, and you’ll have almost the exact same complaint. “I just want to feel like the man I know I am inside.”
Genuinely, it is gender affirming care. It’s replacing sex hormones their body won’t produce naturally, to counteract effects that are existentially devastating to their psyche.
They don’t wanna say that low-T as an older man feels like gender dysphoria. But have a conversation with a trans guy and an old man about testosterone levels and masculinity and self-image, and you’ll have almost the exact same complaint. “I just want to feel like the man I know I am inside.”
As a not-old guy with low testosterone, I just have an intractable depression.
It sorta responds to antidepressants. It sorta responds to sunlight therapy. It sorta responds to keeping a handle on my diet and exercise.
Sometimes it’s worse, sometimes it’s better. But I’m almost always struggling with not having energy, being irritable, and feeling overwhelmed.
Going on testosterone was like “ooooh, that’s what that’s supposed to be like.”
As a trans woman, yeah that’s basically how I felt before estrogen. Well that and my proprioception regularly asking where the hell my tits were.