Page 4 | Life expectancy of medically transitioned young people

WoolyMammoth55 · 03/12/2021 22:10

I have a friend who was identified male at birth and transitioned to female in her 30s. She's early 50s now and has been advised that her life expectancy is now 65-70 years.

She has had all surgeries, including facial surgeries, and has frequent infection issues, especially vaginally. She needs to take a lot of antibiotics as well as the high-dose hormones. The risks she's been made aware of are heart attack, stroke, and cancer - all significantly raised vs gen pop.

Her body has been through such a lot and it's incredibly detrimental to health. She was not advised about the shorter life expectancy before transitioning. I am really shocked that it's not more widely spoken about.

BessyK · 03/12/2021 22:09

Information on mortality in Stats for Gender

www.statsforgender.org/mortality/

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 03/12/2021 22:03

Have a look at this thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4226475-Effects-of-cross-sex-hormones-on-natal-females-blood-pressure

FlyingOink · 03/12/2021 21:59

@porridgecake

I am sure I read on here that children and young people who start puberty blockers and then continue on cross sex hormones long term have a greatly reduced life expectancy. Does anyone have any information on this?

There's a number of different issues here. Blockers cause serious medical problems. Cross sex hormones have side effects, as mentioned earlier both sexes appear to have increased risk of heart disease. Exulansic mentioned thickening of cartilage on testosterone (hence frog voice, because the larynx doesn't actually grow) and that this affects heart valves too. I haven't seen any studies on it but the theory makes sense. And then finally we have all the TRA nonsense about life expectancy anyway. The average lifespan being 35 (it isn't), the 41% or one in ten or one in four or whatever it is this week claimed suicide rate, and the one in ten being murdered (which isn't true). There is so much misinformation about the lifespan of transsexuals, trans identified people, and people with gender identities (enbies claiming they will die at 35 on Tumblr for example!) that it is safe to assume that lifespan is closer to what it is for other people than to what they claim. Add to this the fact the "trans umbrella" is indiscriminate - if we are strictly talking about transmeds then yes perhaps there is a difference, as cross sex hormones do a number on the whole body, and the surgeries have poor outcomes and high rates of complications. But that's a minority of "trans people" anyway. So in answer to your question OP, it depends.

With regard specifically to children, the Dutch protocol only started being adopted worldwide fairly recently, so if it were the case that the blockers then hormones route led to early death, we would only start seeing it in the next few years.

Chickenyhead · 03/12/2021 21:44

I believe the question is being deliberately avoided, recording such data would no doubt be considered transphobic.

Given the shorter average life expectancy of autism by 16 years and their prevalence within the group. In addition to the horrific impact of hormones and suppression of natural body processes, I wouldn't like to guess 😬

Hoardasaurusterf · 03/12/2021 21:31

Anecdotally I know of one young person who has liver problems. It has been suggested their issue may be related to artificial testosterone. This is a 21 yr old

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 03/12/2021 21:18

Around 40 I mean, not 40s.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 03/12/2021 21:17

‘The middle aged males will be fine and dandy though because they had their testosterone fueled puberty and weren't made sterile.’

No the middle aged men are not fine and dandy. They have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke if they are on artificial hormones.

A transwoman friend of mine- healthy, around 40s, no obvious other causes- died of a sudden heart attack last year.

LarissaFeodorovna · 03/12/2021 21:07

@porridgecake

It is surprising because usually with pioneering new treatments, collecting information and documenting progress would be a matter of course. I thought there would at least be some planned collation of outcomes.

You'd think but if the Tavi aren't collecting that data, individual surgeons in the US (who don't work in MDTs in the UK way) definitely won't be. Assume HW & co won't be collecting that data either, not unless it shows what they want it to show.

Financial conflicts of interest going on all over the place.

Original poster

porridgecake · 03/12/2021 20:49

It is surprising because usually with pioneering new treatments, collecting information and documenting progress would be a matter of course. I thought there would at least be some planned collation of outcomes.

OP posts:

LarissaFeodorovna · 03/12/2021 20:42

If you look at Exulansic's videos on YT, transitioners who've had various kinds of surgeries seem to be experiencing horrific levels of side-effects, but it seems nobody is collating that data either at the individual or the population level.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 03/12/2021 19:16

Off the top of my head, the likely issues are:

Untreated mental health issues, because a full MH assessment has not been made, and other treatments/therapies have been sidelined because transition has been assumed to be a cure all - sadly, this may not be the case, so increased risk of self-harm, harmful behaviours etc

Osteoporosis leading to fractures and reduced mobility

Infection risk from operations

Risk of death from complications of general anaesthetic

Females put on testosterone may end up with an increased risk of heart disease

There will be others. If you have a body which from a few weeks after conception is expecting high levels of one hormone, or a combination of hormones, and it suddenly doesn't get that, surely there are going to be issues. Your body will be fighting the drugs trying to suppress production of those hormones and the sudden rise in other hormones which your chromosomal makeup means your body is not expecting.

Whatsnewpussyhat · 03/12/2021 19:14

I guess we won't know until the current generation of teens hit their 30's about the true extent of permanent damage on young bodies taking high doses of hormones they weren't designed to deal with, especially those who didn't go through puberty/had blockers.

The middle aged males will be fine and dandy though because they had their testosterone fueled puberty and weren't made sterile.

Whitefire · 03/12/2021 18:56

I think one of the difficulties is that there hasn't been enough time passed. Sadly if it does prove to be true it is likely to feed into the 'most oppressed' narrative rather than being a lightbulb moment of the damage caused by the ideology.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 03/12/2021 18:55

I doubt there's much research evidence as it's all so new. I suppose people with the relevant expertise may be able to collate evidence from research tracking other groups who've had the same or similar treatments.

EmbarrassingHadrosaurus · 03/12/2021 18:53

@porridgecake

I am sure I read on here that children and young people who start puberty blockers and then continue on cross sex hormones long term have a greatly reduced life expectancy. Does anyone have any information on this?

I should think that there will be substantial differences depending on the maturity of the healthcare system involved and the occupation of the transitioned person.