21F. I was diagnosed with PCOS recently and have been taking birth control (Nikki) for about two weeks now. I’d originally gone to get checked for endometriosis, which is still up in the air, so to hear the suggestion of starting the pill was almost annoying. Anyways, ultrasound found my ovaries to be enlarged + polycystic, which prompted blood tests. My total testosterone was 66 with a ref range of 8-60 ng/dL. My free testosterone was 1.43 with a range of 0.13-1.08 ng/dL. To me, that sounded crazy, so after googling I found that free t is usually measured by pg/mL. The normal range for free t isn’t very clear to me, but my level converts to 14.3 pg/mL, which is high even for those with PCOS, if my math is right.
I believe that my testosterone levels were high enough to cause me to feel uncertainly in my identity for the longest time. I am cisgender, but always felt out of place and too “masculine” around other fem-presenting people. While it hasn’t been very long, I feel like i’m already experiencing improvements to my mentality and physicality. And maybe i’m being too optimistic, but i’ve noticed a difference in the overall size of my vulva. Just weeks ago i was in tears over how enlarged and intense my labia always looked, especially with such harsh hair growth that irritated my own skin. Now, it literally looks calmer, smaller and more “feminine.” I’ve even noticed an improvement on my comfort? Like it doesn’t feel overly sweaty or like i’m being poked by a cactus down there lol. I also feel girlier overall. My facial swelling has gone down, my voice isn’t sooo crunchy or hard to control, and it doesn’t hurt to climax anymore (but i still get the hip/lower back soreness afterwards.)
With my biggest insecurities seemingly being handled all at once, the pill has been great for my confidence. Or am I delusional? I don’t have much to really compare my own t levels with, so I end up driving myself mad trying to find answers haha