It is a question that pops up in Reddit threads, doctor’s offices, and late-night curiosity searches more often than you might think. Can a transgender female to male produce sperm? People ask because gender identity and biological mechanics are, frankly, complicated.
The short answer is no.
Biological males (assigned male at birth) possess testes, which are the only organs in the human body capable of spermatogenesis—the literal creation of sperm. Transgender men, or AFAB (assigned female at birth) individuals, are born with ovaries and a uterus. While medical science has made leaps that feel like science fiction, we haven't reached a point where we can "grow" functional, sperm-producing testes in a person born with a female reproductive system.
Biology doesn't care about your haircut
Honestly, it comes down to the plumbing you were born with.
A trans man may undergo phalloplasty or metoidioplasty to create a penis. He might take testosterone for decades. He might have a beard that would make a lumberjack jealous and a voice deep enough to shake the floorboards. But none of those things change the gametes—the reproductive cells—the body produces.
Testosterone therapy is powerful. It stops ovulation, it shifts fat, and it grows muscle. However, it doesn't magically rewrite the genetic code of your gonads. Ovaries stay ovaries, even if they go "dormant" due to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). If a trans man wants to have a biological child, he is currently limited to using the eggs he was born with.
The confusion around "Male" and "Sperm"
Why do people get confused? Mostly because the terminology is evolving faster than the general public’s understanding of biology.
Sometimes, people see a headline about "male birth" or "trans men having babies" and their brain fills in the gaps incorrectly. When a trans man carries a pregnancy, it’s because he still has a functional uterus and ovaries. He isn't "producing sperm" to impregnate a partner; he is using his own eggs.
There is also a lot of buzz about "stem cell gametes." You might have read a pop-science article claiming we can turn skin cells into sperm or eggs. This is called In Vitro Gametogenesis (IVG).
Researchers like Katsuhiko Hayashi at Kyushu University in Japan have actually succeeded in doing this with mice. They took male mouse cells and turned them into eggs. But doing the reverse—turning female cells (which have XX chromosomes) into sperm (which usually requires a Y chromosome)—is a massive mountain to climb.
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We aren't there yet. Not for humans. Not by a long shot.
What happens to fertility during transition?
If you are a trans man wondering about your future family, the "no sperm" answer might feel like a door closing. But it’s not the only door.
Most trans men face a different fertility hurdle: testosterone.
HRT generally suppresses ovulation. While it is not a reliable form of birth control (yes, you can still get pregnant on T!), it makes getting pregnant on purpose much harder. Many guys choose to freeze their eggs before starting hormones. This is called oocyte cryopreservation. It’s expensive. It’s invasive. It’s also the only way to ensure a biological link to a future child right now.
- Egg Freezing: Usually involves weeks of hormone injections and a surgical retrieval.
- Embryo Freezing: If you already have a partner or a sperm donor, you can fertilize the eggs before freezing them. This tends to have a higher success rate than freezing eggs alone.
- Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation: A newer technique where a piece of the ovary is removed and frozen.
The Y-Chromosome problem
Let’s get technical for a second.
Sperm carries either an X or a Y chromosome. To produce sperm that can create a male offspring, you typically need a Y chromosome in the precursor cells. Since trans men have XX chromosomes, even if we perfected the technology to turn their stem cells into "sperm," that sperm would only ever carry an X chromosome.
Every child resulting from that process would be biologically female (XX).
This is one of those nuanced details that gets lost in the "can a transgender female to male produce sperm" conversation. It’s not just about the organ; it’s about the genetic blueprint inside the cell.
Realities of the "Biological Clock"
Trans men often feel a rush to get on T. I get it. The dysphoria is real.
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But doctors like Dr. Maurice Garcia at Cedars-Sinai often emphasize the importance of the fertility talk before the first shot. Once you’ve been on testosterone for years, your ovaries might not "wake up" as easily if you decide to stop hormones to retrieve eggs.
Some guys have successfully gone off T after five or ten years, ovulated, and harvested eggs. Others haven't been so lucky. The science is still a bit "wait and see" because we don't have long-term, multi-generational studies on trans masculine fertility.
The future: Uterine transplants and IVG
We are living in an era where uterine transplants are becoming a reality for cisgender women born without a uterus (MRKH syndrome). There is talk about whether trans women could eventually receive these transplants.
But for trans men? The research is focused elsewhere.
The "holy grail" remains IVG. If scientists can figure out how to take a skin cell from a trans man, wipe its "identity" clean, and reprogram it into a sperm cell, the answer to the "can a transgender female to male produce sperm" question would finally change.
Don't hold your breath for 2026 or even 2030. Clinical trials in humans are a legal and ethical minefield.
Navigating the social side of "Non-Producers"
There is a weird stigma.
In some circles, there's this "alpha" idea that masculinity is tied to the ability to provide sperm. It's nonsense.
A trans man’s fatherhood isn't defined by his gametes. Many trans men choose:
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- Donor Insemination: Using a bank or a known donor to impregnate a partner.
- Reciprocal IVF: If their partner is a cis woman or trans femme, the trans man provides the egg, and the partner carries the baby.
- Adoption or Fostering: Building a family through social and legal bonds rather than genetic ones.
Practical steps for the here and now
If you’re looking for a takeaway that isn't just "no, you can't," here is what you actually need to do if you care about biological kids.
First, talk to an endocrinologist who actually understands trans health. Not just a GP who follows a script, but someone who knows the latest data from organizations like WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health).
Second, get a fertility baseline. You can’t know what you’re working with until you check. This usually involves an ultrasound and some blood work to check your AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone) levels, which gives a rough idea of your "egg reserve."
Third, be honest about the cost. Egg freezing can run between $10,000 and $15,000, plus annual storage fees. Many insurance companies are starting to cover this under "iatrogenic infertility" (infertility caused by medical treatment), but you have to fight for it.
Fourth, understand that stopping testosterone to pursue fertility is a mental health challenge. The return of a period and the shifting of body fat can be brutal for dysphoria. Have a support system ready.
Lastly, stay informed but skeptical. Headlines about "artificial sperm" are often clickbait. Look for peer-reviewed studies in journals like Nature or Fertility and Sterility before getting your hopes up about a sudden breakthrough.
The biological reality today is fixed, but the way we build families is more flexible than ever. You don't need to produce sperm to be a father, and you don't need to be a "producer" to be a man.
Actionable Insights for Trans Masculine Fertility
- Prioritize Preservation: If biological children are a "maybe" for you, freeze eggs before starting HRT. Testosterone doesn't always cause permanent sterility, but it makes the process significantly more difficult and expensive later.
- Contraception is Mandatory: Never assume testosterone is birth control. If you are having "front-hole" sex with a person who produces sperm, you can get pregnant. Use barriers or a non-hormonal IUD.
- Seek Specialized Care: Use directories like OutCare Health to find providers who specialize in LGBTQ+ reproductive endocrinology. Standard fertility clinics often lack the sensitivity or specific knowledge required for trans patients.
- Legal Protections: If you use a donor or reciprocal IVF, ensure your legal parental rights are established early. Biology doesn't always equate to legal parenthood in every jurisdiction.
The biological constraint is a "no" for now, but the path to parenthood remains wide open through alternative means.