Since 2017, hundreds of women ages 12 and younger with gender dysmorphia have undergone double mastectomies, according to an analysis published by the Manhattan Institute this week.
He Breast removal surgerySometimes called “top surgery,” it aims to create a “more masculine-looking chest,” as stated on the Cleveland Clinic website.
Leor Sapir, PhD, a member of the Manhattan Institute whose research interests include pediatric gender medicine, shared that between 5,288 and 6,294 double mastectomies were conducted on girls under 18 years of age between 2017 and 2023, and between 50 and 179 of those girls were only 12 years old or younger.
“GENDER-AFFIRMING” TREATMENTS DO NOT BENEFIT YOUNG PEOPLE, SAYS A GROUP OF PEDIATRICIANS: “IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES”
This was based on an analysis of a “national all-payer insurance database,” which included patients who had previously been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and whose treatment was covered by insurance, Sapir wrote in a paper disclosing the findings.
The actual numbers could be higher, the Manhattan Institute says, because researchers did not include patients who paid for the procedure themselves without filing a claim. insurance claim.
“Out-of-pocket costs for 'top surgery' can be as low as $3,000, a sum that many middle-class families can afford,” Sapir wrote.
If procedures had been entered under different codes for billing, these would not appear either.
UK STUDY FINDS TRANS KIDS WHO TOOK PUBERTY-BLOCKING DRUGS HAD MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
Previous research has suggested different figures.
An October 2022 study led by Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, published in JAMA Network, found that there were only 489 major surgeries performed on adolescents in 2019.
Since 2017, hundreds of women ages 12 or younger with gender dysmorphia have undergone double mastectomies, according to the data analysis. (iStock)
However, in August 2023, researchers at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the University of Southern California Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that 3,678 minors received “gender-affirming surgery.”
That study was also published in JAMA.
STUDY FINDS PUBERTY BLOCKERS COULD CAUSE LONG-TERM HEALTH AND FERTILITY PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN: “THEY MAY BE PERMANENT”
In June, the Biden administration spoke out for the first time against gender-affirming surgery for transgender minors, The 19th reported.
“These are deeply personal decisions and we believe these surgeries should be limited to adults,” a White House spokesperson said in an email, according to the outlet.
“We continue to support gender-affirming care for minors, which represents a Continuity of careand respect the role of parents, families and physicians in these decisions.”
'It is a cause for deep concern'
Psychologists have spoken out about the mental health consequences of these types of procedures, including Dr. Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist and author.
Psychologists have spoken out about the consequences of certain types of surgery on mental health. (iStock)
Alpert said he disagrees with the phrase “affirmative care and treatment.”
“What does affirmation really mean?” she asked. “In many cases, I've seen people suffer greatly because they have sought treatment from therapists who do just that: affirmation.”
“Taking the knife to a psychological disorder worries me a lot, especially when it involves minors.”
“They nod their heads, agree with everything the patient says, and validate all of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, even if they are clearly unhealthy.”
While it is normal that Children and adolescents Alpert said that to challenge their shifting feelings about gender identity, “they are being forced to undergo gender-affirming treatments and surgeries, rather than exploring and questioning their thoughts.”
While it's normal for children and teens to question their shifting feelings about gender identity, “they are being rushed into gender-affirming treatments and surgeries, rather than exploring and questioning their thoughts,” one psychotherapist said. (iStock)
“This unhealthy tendency can unintentionally trap therapy patients in a cycle where the patient relies heavily on the therapist to feel good and continue receiving validation, and the therapist relies on the patient to maintain their business.”
Developmental issues must be taken into account, the doctor stressed, as children are still going through physical and emotional changes.
GENDER DYSPHORIA AND EATING DISORDERS HAVE SOARED SINCE THE PANDEMIC, REPORT REVEALS: 'DOMINO EFFECTS'
“Surgery is not appropriate for a child's ever-changing sense of identity,” Alpert said, warning of the long-term psychological consequences.
“Depression, anxiety and Substance abuse “These are the main concerns,” he added.
It's also important to make sure that children and their parents fully understand the implications of such a “drastic intervention,” Alpert said.
Experts warn of the possible long-term psychological consequences of this particular type of surgery. (iStock)
“It may be preferable to wait and see rather than take action, as regret could very well be a consequence of the surgical intervention, especially if gender identity evolves,” she warned.
The doctor also warned about the possible long-term risk of puberty blocking drugs On bones, fertility and mental health.
“It may be better to wait and see rather than act, as regret could very well be a consequence of the surgical intervention.”
“I think younger patients with gender dysphoria should be treated initially with psychotherapy and spend years exploring how they really feel, without the overlay of politics or ideology,” Siegel added.
“I think there are too many of these… [procedures] “are carried out in the United States, as the data shows.”
Positions of medical groups
Earlier this month, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reaffirmed its policy supporting gender-affirming care for transgender youth, with plans to review new data and research that has been conducted since the original policy was published in 2018.
The American College of Pediatricians (ACP) and allied groups calling themselves “Doctors Protecting Children” have released a statement urging major American medical associations, such as the AAP, to abandon their support for gender-affirming care.
“As physicians, along with nurses, psychotherapists, and behavioral health clinicians, others health professionals“We, as scientists, researchers, and public health and policy professionals, have serious concerns about the physical and mental health effects of current protocols promoted for the care of children and adolescents in the United States who express discomfort with their biological sex,” the statement said.
For more articles on health, visit www.foxnews.com/health
“ASPS does not issue policies favoring or opposing any surgical procedure. The Society does issue Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines, which provide recommendations for patient care based on the best available evidence in the scientific literature. To date, ASPS has not issued a clinical practice guideline on gender surgery for adolescents or adults. We are currently in the evaluation stage of the available evidence regarding gender surgery in minors, which, as we stated, is generally considered to be of low quality/low certainty.”
