Effects of the pure antiandrogen RU 23.903 (anandron) on sexuality, aggression, and mood in male-to-female transsexuals

Abstract

Sexuality, aggression, and mood were investigated in 14 presurgical male-to-female transsexuals, undergoing antiandrogenic treatment with anandron, a pure antiandrogen. Subjects were given a test battery the morning prior to treatment onset and after 8 weeks of treatment. In addition they were requested to complete daily forms concerned with sexual behavior and mood. Morning erections and the frequency of thoughts and fantasies about sex decreased after anandron intake. Aggressive feelings were uncorrelated with testosterone level. Moods such as level of energy, feelings of relaxation, fatigue, and feelings of tension and anxiety appeared to fluctuate more as a consequence of anandron intake than did moods such as cheerful, sociable and friendly, gloomy and unhappy, irritated and changeable. The latter remained at a constant level.

Hormonal therapy and sex reassignment: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of quality of life and psychosocial outcomes

“…Van Kemenade et al. found that treatment with an antiandrogen for 8 weeks increased feelings of relaxation and energy in MF transsexuals 32 …”

“…Van Kemenade et al found that treatment with an antiandrogen for 8 weeks increased feelings of relaxation and energy in MF transsexuals. 32 Financial, professional status and employment situation were satisfactory postsex reassignment and when compared with before transition, they were perceived as improved. 18,24,25,27,29 In terms of hormonal therapies effects, Kaube et al reported that 26/30 individuals were satisfied with hormonal therapy compared to 21/30 satisfied with SRS.…”

Changing your sex changes your brain: influences of testosterone and estrogen on adult human brain structure

“…Indeed, in transsexuals, cross-sex hormone treatment induces changes in behavior and cognitive performance on tests that are known to manifest differences between males and females. In MFs, 3 months of estrogen addition and testosterone suppression resulted in a decline in anger and aggression proneness, sexual arousal, sexual desire, and spatial ability (usually males outperform females) and in an increase in verbal fluency (usually females outperform males) (24,26,27). In FMs, 3 months of testosterone treatment was associated with an increase in aggression proneness, sexual arousal, and spatial ability performance, whereas it had a deteriorating effect on verbal fluency tasks (25,28).…”

The Health of Sexual Minorities

“…Bone mineral density is well preserved and also increases (van Kesteren et al, 1996a(van Kesteren et al, , 1998Reutrakul et al, 1998;Schlatterer et al, 1998a;Sosa et al, 2003;Mueller et al, 2005). Reported side effects of feminizing hormone therapy include weight gain (Elbers et al, 1997(Elbers et al, , 1999, galactorrhea (fluid discharge from the nipples) (Gooren et al, 1985;Schlatterer et al, 1998b), decreased red cell mass (Rosenmund et al, 1988;Schlatterer et al, 1998b), decreased libido (van Kemenade et al, 1989;van Goozen et al, 1995;Schlatterer et al, 1996), and infertility (Lübbert et al, 1992). Most hormone-induced changes are reversible if feminizing hormones are discontinued, but breast growth must be assumed to be permanent.…”

“…Cohen-Kettenis and concluded that in MtF transsexuals "the main effect of estrogen seems to be one of calming down emotional turbulences" (p. 63). Van Kemenade et al (1989) observed that antiandrogen treatment increased feelings of relaxation and energy in MtF transsexuals. Slabbekoorn et al (2001) reported that feminizing hormone therapy increased the intensity of positive emotions in MtF transsexuals; nonverbal emotional expressivity also increased.…”