TW for anatomy and sexuality. I try to cover explicit anatomical words with spoilers. Xposted to FTMMen.

I sometimes use my front parts for sex. I've been on T for 13 months. Over the last ~6 months, symptoms of vaginal atrophy have been slowly creeping up. For me that means occasional itchiness, tightness, and pain. I experience just as much of this while simply walking around as I do during sex. I've been tested repeatedly for STIs, and that's not it.

So I'm starting vaginal estradiol cream to head off these issues before they get unbearable. I have questions for guys who have done the same.

Firstly, did it work? How often did you do it? How much did you use? My doc recommends 1g 2-3x per week. Did you use your fingers or an applicator? Do you think you'll use it forever or did you stop / do you plan on stopping at some point?

Secondly, how do you approach sex while using it? I obviously don't want my partner to get it on himself. I don't feel sexy at all on the day I use it, but I'm curious how long enough of it stays in there to be noticed by a partner. A few hours? A few days? I have no idea. How long after application do you feel comfortable having sex?