The Decision to Undergo SRS

 

Many people simply assume that the loss of the external male genitalia will result in a complete loss of sexuality. This very naive myth unnecessarily frightens many preop women, and it also furthers prejudice against postop TS women, who are often thought of by the general public as having "desexed themselves".

 

Certainly a typical male would suffer a catastrophic impact on body image and libido from the loss of his external genitalia. Furthermore, intensely TS women are not "regular guys". They do not suffer a negative impact on body image as a result of SRS, but instead find a greatly enhanced body image. The experiences of countless Hijra girls in India demonstrates that even primitive forms of SRS do not desex transsexual girls and in fact helps many of them. SRS has the opposite effect on intensely TS women as would the emasculation of a typical male. SRS usually releases and enhances the libidos of TS women, enabling them to frequently and fully "turn-on" and enjoy their physical sexuality and lovemaking, including achievement of orgasm during intercourse with a partner.

 

The myths and misunderstandings about the effects of SRS cause many preop TS women to remain in a state of indecision about having surgery. Although feeling an intense need to undergo SRS to achieve physical conformity with their gender identity, some preops may also feel extreme anxiety about whether or not they will still experience sexual arousal and orgasm after SRS.

 

This anxiety is enhanced by stories heard from many TS transition failures, including the cases of intense cross-dressers, drag queens and crossdressers who mistakenly underwent SRS for various sexual reasons and then found that their male libidos were greatly reduced and their male orgasmic capability eliminated. There have been so many misguided cases that the urban myths about SRS have escalated over the years, and there is now a lot of confusion about what to expect after SRS.

 

Post-op Female

 

On the other hand, many other transsexual girls learn to visualize from their preop sexual experiences that they'll probably still "turn-on" sexually and be orgasmic as women after SRS: Many preop women hide their genitals by inserting the testicles up into the abdomen, and then tightly tucking the male organ back through the crotch (with tight underwear or taping). In this configuration, the penis cannot usually get enough blood supply for full external penile erection. Even though the external part of the penis cannot erect when tucked tightly, the girl nevetheless experiences the familiar female "glow" and warmth throughout her interior genital region when she is aroused, for example, by a man's warm attentions. In addition, the corpora cavernosa shafts inside her body can become erect once the girl is sexually aroused, and that arousal feels really wonderful - even though the external part of the penis is flaccid. Sexual stimulation by rubbing and caressing the genital area and the breasts can then lead to orgasm for a girl who is sufficiently aroused.

 

From experiences like this, preop women can visualize that after undergoing SRS the remaining internal stumps of her corpora will still engorge and become erect, and that she can experience similar feelings of sexual arousal when she is postop. In addition, the postop woman can now also experience wonderful sensations from caressing her clitoris, which, in contrast to the previously hidden penis, can now be openly played with without her experiencing angst about her body-image.

There are many dimensions to postop women's sexuality, and the actual postop effects of SRS on arousal and orgasm vary greatly from case to case. Those who are male-gendered, and who have male sexual urges focused in the external genitalia, are likely to experience great loss over time. Those who are "in between somewhere" will likely experience a mixture of losses and gains. Those who are female gendered and who have strong female sexual urges are likely to benefit greatly, as a whole new life of sensuality, sexuality and lovemaking opens up to them. All of this is of course contingent upon the person having a normal-level of libido, having no "hang-ups" about being sensual and sexual, and also upon a successful surgical result.

Thus the decision for SRS must be taken with great internal soul searching and introspection, and with complete honesty with oneself about one's own gender identity, body image and likely psychic reactions to the body changes of SRS. This is especially true if sexual arousal and orgasm are very important in one's life. However, for those for whom SRS is the right thing to do, that surgery can release them fully from the physical gender trap they had been living in, and free them to experience their full humanity in sexual and lovemaking relationships.