Brett Michelle A, Roberts Lesley F, Johnson Thomas W, Wassersug Richard J
Anatomy & Neurobiology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
J Sex Med. 2007 Jul;4(4 Pt 1):946-55. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2007.00522.x.
There are men in the Western world who are voluntarily castrated and are not male-to-female transsexuals.
We surveyed members of this group to understand their responses to androgen deprivation (AD) and how their experiences matched their expectations of AD.
We posted a questionnaire on the Eunuch Archive (http://www.eunuch.org) that received responses from 92 voluntarily orchiectomized males who identified as eunuchs. Data from this questionnaire were supplemented with interviews with 19 of the eunuchs.
Participants completed questionnaire items regarding: (i) the side effects they expected and experienced; (ii) their current physical and psychological condition; (iii) their level of regret; (iv) what they appreciated most about their castrated status; and (v) who performed their orchiectomies.
The most appreciated aspect of castration was the sense of control over sexual urges and appetite (52%). The major side effects experienced were loss of libido (66%), hot flashes (63%), and genital shrinkage (55%). The population had high self-rated sociability, and mental and physical health. Although there was an insignificant reduction in depression after castration, the overall level of self-reported obsessive-compulsive disorders decreased significantly (P < 0.01). Twenty-two percent of the population reported a change in sexual orientation. Many respondents (60%) took supplemental hormone treatments to counteract the side effects of AD. The use of both supplemental testosterone and high-dose estrogen correlated with a significant increase in self-reported sexual desire and activity above the agonadal level (P < 0.001). The majority of the castrations (53%) were not performed by medical professionals.
The medical community needs to be aware of men at risk of unsafe castrations in order to provide them with more information on the side effects of AD and access to safe orchiectomies.
在西方世界，有些男性自愿接受阉割，且并非男变女的跨性别者。
我们对该群体成员进行了调查，以了解他们对雄激素剥夺（AD）的反应，以及他们的经历与对AD的期望是否相符。
我们在太监档案网站（http://www.eunuch.org）上发布了一份问卷，收到了92名自认太监的自愿接受睾丸切除男性的回复。该问卷的数据还补充了对19名太监的访谈。
参与者完成了关于以下方面的问卷项目：（i）他们预期和经历的副作用；（ii）他们目前的身体和心理状况；（iii）他们的后悔程度；（iv）他们对阉割状态最欣赏的方面；（v）谁为他们实施了睾丸切除术。
阉割最令人欣赏的方面是对性冲动和食欲的控制感（52%）。经历的主要副作用是性欲丧失（66%）、潮热（63%）和生殖器萎缩（55%）。该群体的社交能力、心理健康和身体健康自评得分较高。虽然阉割后抑郁程度有不显著的降低，但自我报告的强迫症总体水平显著下降（P<0.01）。22%的群体报告性取向发生了变化。许多受访者（60%）采取补充激素治疗来抵消AD的副作用。补充睾酮和高剂量雌激素的使用与自我报告的性欲和性活动在性腺功能缺失水平以上显著增加相关（P<0.001）。大多数阉割手术（53%）并非由医学专业人员实施。
医学界需要意识到有不安全阉割风险的男性，以便为他们提供更多关于AD副作用的信息，并让他们能够获得安全的睾丸切除术。
