Does Testosterone Change Sexual Orientation?

It is common for trans men to self-report changes to sexual orientation following testosterone therapy. However, I doubt this is true, and posit that these “changes of sexual orientation” are simply examples of female sexual fluidity.


Lisa M. Diamond reported the fluidity of sexual identity in non-transsexual women, and how most eventually settled on some variation of “bisexual”. 


“Evidence that some women are especially sexually fluid includes results from a longitudinal study of 80 women first interviewed at 16 to 23 years of age (L. M. Diamond, 2000, 2003a, 2008). At the first interview, none of the women identified as “heterosexual”; rather, their reported identities were “lesbian,” “bisexual,” or unlabeled. Many of the women’s sexual feelings toward women versus men changed over time, although typically the changes were not large (about 1 Kinsey Scale point, on average). Yet changes in sexual identity were common. Two years after the initial interviews, approximately one-third of the participants changed their sexual identities (L. M. Diamond, 2000); between the second and third interview, another quarter of the participants changed their sexual identities (L. M. Diamond, 2003a); and between the third and fourth interviews, another third of the participants changed their sexual identities (L. M. Diamond, 2008). Usually, these changes were between adjacent categories (e.g., “heterosexual” and “bisexual”) rather than larger changes (e.g., from “heterosexual” to “lesbian”). Perhaps more importantly, over time, women were significantly more likely to adopt identities that permitted sexual attractions and/or behavior with both sexes (i.e., “bisexual” or unlabeled) than to adopt exclusively lesbian identities.”


Likewise, the typical “change in sexual orientation” reported by trans men is towards bisexuality. Untreated Gender Dysphoria often impairs a person’s exploration and understanding of one’s sexuality due to bodily insecurities. Many trans men are bisexual, as bisexuality is common in the female sex. There is no evidence that testosterone can truly change one’s sexual orientation. Rather, it increases sex drive, which can cause changes in sexual identity. 

 

Those of us in the trans community ought to be careful about what we say regarding sexual orientation. Claiming that sexual orientation changes without strong evidence is detrimental to homosexuals and bisexuals.


Related Blog Posts


On Sexual Orientation

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