MILWAUKEE—A male Wisconsin prison inmate who has developed feminine characteristics after taking hormones contends that the treatments have helped him deal with gender identity disorder.

Vankemah Moaton, 29, who uses the name Tatyana, testified Oct. 23 as one of three plaintiffs in a federal case that seeks to overturn a Wisconsin law that bars inmates from receiving the female hormones.

The inmates were taken off hormones for a short time after the law took effect in January 2006 but started getting them again early last year after U.S. District Judge Charles Clevert issued an injunction.

Moaton, who has used hormones for more than 10 years and has had several silicone enhancement surgeries, testified he had felt feminine since childhood.

Moaton testified to experiencing night sweats, depression, breast pain and suicidal thoughts after he stopped receiving hormones. He said under questioning from state attorney Jody Schmelzer that he did not want a sex-change operation and wasn’t threatened.