I think that the REASON for wanting castration would be the prime factor in deciding when to have it done. It makes sense to me that a gender-dysphoric person would want the operation early in life so as to reduce the anxiety factor of being in a mismatched body.

You can marry your lover and adopt children to make a family, so the asexual aspect of castration is not a truly an issue. Mental maturity and sexual maturity are completely different things. I would advise against castration unless you have loked into all the ramifications, such as health issues, very thoroughly.

In my case, the reason for wanting castration was to reduce an uncontrollable sex drive that had caused a crisis situation that nearly wrecked my life and family. Prior to that crisis, I had never thought about castration, not even in fantasy. However some 30 years ago at the time of this crisis, I would have had it done, if it had been possible. Looking back, I realize that my life would have been much less complicated if I had been castrated, so waiting all these years was not necessarily a good thing. In this respect perhaps, my situation is similar to that of the gender-dysphoric.

However, if the castration is merely to serve a sexual fantasy, then there is NO real world reason for it. Therefor, castration at any age would NOT be warranted.

Age is a factor that must also consider other things like maturity, and mental stability.

I have a very close friend who found himself castrated at 25 by accident. He awoke from the injuries, and discovered that the only permanent damage was that he was separated from his balls and sack. He initally went thru a period of depression, but ultimately came to accept the situation.

He had been living life as a bi-sexual, since he felt the pressure to continue the family line, as the only male in his generation. once that was not possible, he stopped dating women, and focused on his real desire,men.

He will tell anyone that asks, that he would not go back to having balls, but he would have preferred to have had a choice in the matter. after 15 years without, he is very open about it, and most are seriously surprised that the muscular and athletic red head is a eunuch.

Testosterone is some heavy duty stuff, and while removing the source can get it out of your system, it won't change behavioral traits. I read of a child molester who requested castration, on the grounds that it would stop him being a child molester. A year later, he had a non functional penis, so he just used a dildo on the little girls he was fondling. Castration will not cure mental illness, nor will it stop your attractions , it will just render you incapable of acting on those attractions.

People like me, and others here who have had long term issues with their balls, (pain, misplacement, etc) and who use HRT can tell you that its not the ideal sitation, but it closely replicates what the body should be doing.

Whether gel or injection, T is a pain in the butt. Forget it in a busy week, and all the sudden you feel like crawling under a rock. Take it too soon, and you are ready to kill 3 of your neighbors over the length of their grass.

There are a thousand different reasons for desiring castration, some of them based solely on a sexual fantasy. Let each man make up his own mind about what is right for him. The biggest hurtle for many is not knowing if they'll like the result. Thats why there are people here who have been thinking about it for 20 years, and are still intact. Its a serious decision, and one that not reversible, so caution is the watchword here.

Never , jump into castration, you may find that you really don't like the end result.

Raymar

Charis (imported) wrote: Thu May 15, 2008 6:13 am I don't think you can come up with single age that would work for everyone. There are a lot of factors that come into making this life changing discission. Some young people mature at very young age and understand the gravity of the discission others remain children in adult bodies.

I agree fully, that you can't put an age on being mature. It's like the drinking age. The problem is there are too many gate keepers. The far right and left want to dictate morality and region and who can be partners in bed, etc, completely missing what America was founded on.

Deciding ones gender should be a privet and with out gatekeepers. If you make a bad choice there is not a thing you can do but Doctors have been sued bad choices of their clients. Too many persons will not accept their bad choices and say it's some else's fault, even if it's on video tape of them say YES.

I think as long as the person has all the facts and information about this life changing decision, and it is still something that they want to do then they should be able to do it. This really goes for any age, as long as they have all the facts about it, then the decision is theirs to make.