Confused.. Need some Advice :]

[paperlizard]

Helloo All...

i'm new here... but i'm glad i found this forum where i can share what i'm facing right now with all of you...

after reading an article on genital anomaly in the newspapers, i started to look at myself and questioned the many questions in my mind which i had brushed off since my teenage years as pyschological issues rather than medical issues...

basically, i have oligomenorrhea.. at one point, it was stopped for abt 6mths or so during my teenage years. i'm 22 now so i prob have had this issue for the last 6-7yrs. dont really rem though... thot it was a small issue since it's more comfortable without having to take care of the menses.. haa..

well, aft reading the article, i examined my own body and i realized i'm rather hairy with long body hair on my arms and legs. i started to notice that i've apparent growth of body hair above my lips and abdomen. all these which i didnt pay much attention to previously. found out that it's called hirsutism...

i guess all these dont really bother me much but i started to question my own genetic makeup as I had a lesbian encounter when i was 16yrs old and i thought it was just a passing pharse of my teenage life. didnt get involved in such stuff anymore till lately, i realised i can like both guys and gals. i'm more masculized in my dressing and behaviour though its often a mixed/cross between the male and female role.. i'm a Christian so i have always assumed it was pyschological instead of medical.

my brother has a congential autochromosal defect which caused him to have a deformed right hand called the "lobster's claw". maybe i've inherited some defects from my parents too?

went to 2 gynaes the last month and both didnt prescribe any medicine for my menses prob. except to find out on ultrasound scan that i have a small uterus. they seemed to brush off everything serious since i'm only 22... my labia minore seemed to be large too.. like 2 lumps drooping down and 1 gynae said it was not a big deal too... i'm from Singapore.. prob they are more conservative in sharing their findings.. i'm not sure..

anyway... i wld really appreciate if anyone wld advise me on what's happening to me... i'm not insisting that i'm a lesbian or a genetic male etc... but my physical and mental are both contradicting each other that i really want to know the truth... thanks! :)


paperlizard

[Jolinn]

Hello & Welcome
Most women suffering from oligomenorrhea are treated with birth control pills. Other women, including those with PCOS, are treated with hormones. Prescribed hormones depend on which particular hormones are deficient or out of balance. When oligomenorrhea is caused by a chronic underlying disorder or disease, such as anorexia nervosa, the underlying condition must be treated for oligomenorrhea to improve.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are also likely to suffer from oligomenorrhea. PCOS is a condition in which the ovaries become filled with small cysts. Women with PCOS show menstrual irregularities that range from oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea on the one hand to very heavy, irregular periods on the other. The condition affects about 6% of premenopausal women and is related to excess androgen production.

maybe this informaton will help you some.

[Sunshine1]

Research Late Onset Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.

-good luck

[paperlizard]

Hi..

thanks for yoru advice...
just wondering is there any link between having excess levels of T and developing attraction to the same gender?
the body's all wired up together and if excess levels of T can cause physically disturbances like oligomenorrhea, hirsutism etc... then does it affect the stability of the emotions?

[MelissP]

Hi..

thanks for yoru advice...
just wondering is there any link between having excess levels of T and developing attraction to the same gender?
the body's all wired up together and if excess levels of T can cause physically disturbances like oligomenorrhea, hirsutism etc... then does it affect the stability of the emotions?

In rats, lab experiments show that sexual activities can be influenced
by early exposure to various hormones. However, people aren't rats.

In humans, the closest thing is a part of the brain called the BSTc. A couple
of studies have shown a difference between males and females, but no one
can say for sure what it all means. In any case, the BSTc would be pretty
much determined in the early stages of life, so any problems you're having
now wouldn't count against that.

Ok, I'll offer some anecdotal evidence. My sister has pretty much the
same reproductive problems as you. And her testosterone level is higher
that mine ever was. They never did figure out the cause, though they
can keep it under control. She might have some emotional outbursts at
times. However, she's one of those heterosexuals, and even though she'd
probably make a pretty good king, you'd best never use the L word around
her. (as a side note, she basically hates me for what I am ...)
So there, excessive androgens don't make you anything :-)

While I on the other hand, didn't have enough testosterone in me to even
partially virilize me before I was 30 (if you don't count being very tall)
and I'd be quite willing to entertain suggestions from persons of either
sex, so long as they have good souls and that bit of magic in them. Such
a romantic, I guess.

Melissa

[Joee]

I have extremely high levels of testosterone, too, and I used to worry if when I start getting my etrogen if I would suddenly be attracted to men, which is possible in some people, but I determined is highly unlikely. I don't think the amount of an individual's hormones will actually affect their sexual preferance. If it did, all lesbians would resemble men and all gay men would resemble women, which most of us know isn't the case. We're all individuals.

Also, often when people are very homophobic, it's because they're trying to hide their own sexuality, but at the same time it sounds like your sister is probably just frustrated with people assuming things about her that aren't true, which would also cause people to hate something sometimes, so I'll give that one the benifit of the doubt.

[MelissP]

I have extremely high levels of testosterone, too, and I used to worry if when I start getting my etrogen if I would suddenly be attracted to men, which is possible in some people, but I determined is highly unlikely. I don't think the amount of an individual's hormones will actually affect their sexual preferance. If it did, all lesbians would resemble men and all gay men would resemble women, which most of us know isn't the case. We're all individuals.

Also, often when people are very homophobic, it's because they're trying to hide their own sexuality, but at the same time it sounds like your sister is probably just frustrated with people assuming things about her that aren't true, which would also cause people to hate something sometimes, so I'll give that one the benifit of the doubt.

I think I've noticed that the more estrogen I'd inhaled the more I crave
sensitive and friendly people. Which sort of eliminates a lot of the guys
I happen to know (not all though)

My relationship with my family has improved in the day since I got my
mri result(s) back. Maybe there's even hope of reconciliation with my
sister.

- Meliss