The gynecologist was surprised to learn I wanted an IUD because apparently another trans guy just recently told her, very confidently, that he can’t get pregnant because T makes you infertile.
Guys. Boys. Dudes. Folks… Don’t play with fire.
Testosterone can inhibit some of the other hormonal levels that trigger ovulation, making ovulation less predictable. Many peoples’ ovaries will release eggs less frequently, if at all. However, this doesn’t mean that ovulation entirely stops if someone is taking testosterone. This means that a person on T can still be fertile and get pregnant while on testosterone.
Same goes for my girlies out there. You’re not shooting blanks. Not 100%. HRT is not birth control.
Worth knowing that “infertile” does not mean “sterile.” A couple are considered infertile if they have not made a baby in over a year despite trying. That is not birth control. A person who has been open with you about struggling with infertility may turn up to the next function with a baby, because infertile people frequently and cheerfully go on to have children. A common cause of infertility in cis men trying to conceive is “low sperm production” - this does not mean NO sperm production, and most people understand that it only takes one sperm!
Infertile in a medical context means that you’d struggle to conceive without assistance, that you’ve taken longer than expected to conceive, that you have a reduced ability to conceive a child, or that you cannot carry a pregnancy to term resulting in a healthy baby. None of these are birth control, but the last one is especially not birth control: “constant miscarriages” is an aspect of infertility that is perfectly well covered under the label of infertility.
Two more things about infertility: infertile uteruses are considered more of magical bags of black magic than testicles, so “infertility” can more often be applied inaccurately to them. And another is that “infertile” is often used from the orientation/intention of “wanting to conceive but cannot,” and often, people who use the term are a bit sad about it. So as an aspect of politeness, if you really want to say something more like “neutered” or “can’t have kids” or “who will rid me of this turbulent womb” or “birth control,” then it’s a kindness to consider using clearer, more appropriate language. Finally: Infertility is not birth control even for people who are infertile.
“Sterile” is the term that means what people think “infertile” means. A sterile person does not have the ability to conceive. This is the equivalent of a spayed or neutered person, someone who has had the explicit removal or disruption of the reproductive organs, and usually involves having removed an organ or tied something off. With the exception of medical violence, it is usually something that the person is highly aware of - they were probably icing SOME part of their body for a few days afterward. Most of the time, in most countries, for most people, it is difficult to become sterile without careful consideration and (at the very least) picking up the phone to make an appointment with a doctor. If the Sterility Fairy has not personally had this discussion with you, you are vastly unlikely to actually be sterile.
Just something to keep in mind and something that the gynae in the OP should have chased after, loudly, honking like a goose
worth noting that some intersex conditions can render you sterile without your knowledge (if, for instance, all your doctors and your parents tried to “fix” you instead of being open with you about your intersex existence - which happens a lot), and i think that’s an important facet of the conversation because a lot of people don’t realize how different intersex conditions impact fertility, but it’s still gonna be wasaaaay rarer than medical infertility for sure.
and yea i really fucking hope the gyno in the OP never repeated that to other patients, goddamn