Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Have there been any studies about elderly trans people with dementia?

56 replies

GreatFox · 17/01/2026 18:19

I am currently dealing with dementia in my personal life.

So many people with dementia revert back to childhood emotionally and withing their own version of reality. We are told the best thing to do is go along with this as correcting them can be upsetting (ie telling them their mums have passed away 30 years ago)

I was wondering if its known if Trans people go back to thinking they are their biological sex if they have dementia? As they most probably would have lived their childhoods as thei biosex.

And if they become confused/distressed if they have had gender reassignment surgery?

OP posts:
Secretseverywhere · 17/01/2026 19:04

It’s an interesting question. There was an interview with a Tim who was the first person in NI to get gender reassignment surgery on the Nolan podcast. A point he made was aging as a trans person is actually pretty tough as the cross sex hormones cause lots of long term health problems he was suffering with osteoporosis and other issues I think it was kidney and heart.

I feel a bit callous but I strongly suspect in the long term we will see that the average age of death of a person who has undergone gender reassignment surgery is far short of the average.

BillieWiper · 17/01/2026 18:51

GreatFox · 17/01/2026 18:46

This is what I am thinking. Identity and social community is a big part of the trans world. I feel like if someone had dementia those types of things just wouldnt register as much, if at all.

Show quote history

Yeah, almost like, if you don't even know that other people exist, then the concept of trans no longer does. Like the thing about if a tree falls and nobody is there, does it make a sound? (Obviously it does, because, you know, physics) But how much of our character is based around knowing others are observing it?

Original poster
GreatFox · 17/01/2026 18:46

BillieWiper · 17/01/2026 18:39

I think ones sense of identity and ego probably decrease a lot. It's an interesting question.

I wonder if there are statistics from how many Alzheimer's/dementia sufferers identify (or did do when had capacity) as trans? I'd have thought now not many.

This is what I am thinking. Identity and social community is a big part of the trans world. I feel like if someone had dementia those types of things just wouldnt register as much, if at all.

OP posts:
BillieWiper · 17/01/2026 18:39

I think ones sense of identity and ego probably decrease a lot. It's an interesting question.

I wonder if there are statistics from how many Alzheimer's/dementia sufferers identify (or did do when had capacity) as trans? I'd have thought now not many.

Dumbo12 · 17/01/2026 18:32

I don't know the answer to this, but given that people with trauma histories in childhood can often return to those frightening times, I'm guessing that their childhood sex and sexuality will be what they identity as. I think this will be a massive problem for those men who have surgery.

Swipe left for the next trending thread