https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11063965/
Introduction
With the growing acceptance of transgender individuals, the number of gender affirmation surgeries has increased. Transgender individuals face elevated depression rates, leading to an increase in suicide ideation and attempts. This study evaluates the risk of suicide or self-harm associated with gender affirmation procedures.
Methods
This retrospective study utilized de-identified patient data from the TriNetX (TriNetX, LLC, Cambridge, MA) database, involving 56 United States healthcare organizations and over 90 million patients. The study involved four cohorts: cohort A, adults aged 18-60 who had gender-affirming surgery and an emergency visit (N = 1,501); cohort B, control group of adults with emergency visits but no gender-affirming surgery (N = 15,608,363); and cohort C, control group of adults with emergency visits, tubal ligation or vasectomy, but no gender-affirming surgery (N = 142,093). Propensity matching was applied to cohorts A and C. Data from February 4, 2003, to February 4, 2023, were analyzed to examine suicide attempts, death, self-harm, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within five years of the index event. A secondary analysis involving a control group with pharyngitis, referred to as cohort D, was conducted to validate the results from cohort C.
Results
Individuals who underwent gender-affirming surgery had a 12.12-fold higher suicide attempt risk than those who did not (3.47% vs. 0.29%, RR 95% CI 9.20-15.96, p < 0.0001). Compared to the tubal ligation/vasectomy controls, the risk was 5.03-fold higher before propensity matching and remained significant at 4.71-fold after matching (3.50% vs. 0.74%, RR 95% CI 2.46-9.024, p < 0.0001) for the gender affirmation patients with similar results with the pharyngitis controls.
Conclusion
Gender-affirming surgery is significantly associated with elevated suicide attempt risks, underlining the necessity for comprehensive post-procedure psychiatric support.
TRAs: "Follow the science!"
Unbiased researchers: "The science says you'll be more suicidal if you cut your healthy body parts off and try to cosplay as the opposite s*x."
TRAs: "Not that science! It isn't affirming me! TRANSPHOBES!!!!!"
This is why you don't treat body dysmorphia with plastic surgery or anorexia with weight loss. You don't affirm delusions or provide addicts with drugs. First do no harm.
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"Trans people are more likely to attempt suicide if they don't get gender treatment!" "No, they are more likely to be suicidal if they do get treatment!"
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Or maybe when someone's strongest desire is for something that is impossible for them to have, there is nothing anyone can truly do to make them feel better about it. In real life people like the main character from My Hero Academia don't magically get what they want; they just crash out.
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