“As a trans man, my debilitating period pain was extra awful due to dysphoria.”
“I regret nothing, except keeping my ovaries and all the wasted years.”
I knew I never wanted biological children very early.
I was in charge of my disabled brother from the time I was 6. I knew from this experience by the age of 12 that I was unwilling to raise a child, especially one with the developmental and genetic issues common in my family.
By the age of 18, I decided that I would be willing to foster older children if I became able, but that would be my only interaction with the concept of parenthood. This is a position I’ve held firm since.
I wanted sterilization at 18, but my doctor wouldn’t even perform a vaginal exam, assuming I was a virgin, and asking me in front of my mother.
As a trans man, my debilitating period pain was extra awful due to dysphoria. Eventually I was diagnosed with PCOS.
No one would touch sterilization on a young, unmarried, ‘feeemaaale’ with no children. I “might regret it.”
As the years went on, my periods became longer and more irregular. It wasn’t until I was NOT bleeding 7-10 days a month that I was finally granted a partial hysterectomy without oophorectomy.
My gynecologist didn’t want to send me to the surgeon, but had to acknowledge that something was wrong.
I was one of the last ‘elective’ surgeries before the hospitals here shut down for the pandemic.
I regret nothing, except keeping my ovaries and all the wasted years.
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