By Mary Rooke
As the debate over the proper treatment for children who identify as transgender becomes a national talking point, a peer-reviewed journal published a pediatric study that shows an almost 400% increase in some transgender surgeries performed on children.
Researchers Rishub Karan Das, Dr. Galen Perdikis, Dr. Salam Al Kasis and others found “the annual number of gender-affirming chest surgeries increased by 389%” between 2016 to 2019, according to a study published by the pediatric network of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Oct. 17.
Although there was a lack of information in the study regarding irreversible sex change procedures on minors, the study found some surgeries, like chest reconstruction, were increasing. Between 2016 and 2019, an estimated 1,130 chest reconstruction surgeries were performed on children under the age of 18, according to the study. (RELATED: Leading ‘Expert’ On Transing Kids Forced To Add Multiple ‘Corrections’ To Major Study)
“The number of chest reconstruction surgeries [aka transgender mastectomies] performed for adolescents rose nearly fourfold between 2016 & 2019, researchers report in a study published today in JAMA Pediatrics.” https://t.co/OYrf694xYy
— Bernard Lane (@Bernard_Lane) October 18, 2022
Female children were among the highest number of patients, with 1,114 chest reconstruction surgeries performed to masculinize an adolescent chest, compared to the 16 feminizing chest reconstruction surgeries performed during the same period, according to JAMA.
“Psychiatric conditions were the most common comorbidities, 21.1% of patients had anxiety and 16.2% had depression. Only 19.9% of adolescents who underwent chest reconstruction used gender-affirming hormone therapy,” the study reported.
Among adolescent patients who received chest reconstruction surgeries in 2019, the data found 77.9% were White, compared to 12.2% Hispanic and 2.7% Black.
“To our knowledge, this study is the largest investigation to date of gender-affirming chest reconstruction in a pediatric population. The results demonstrate substantial increases in gender-affirming chest reconstruction for adolescents,” the study reported.
Of the 1.6 million transgender people ages 13 and older in the U.S., 300,000 are between 13 and 17 years of age, according to the JAMA study.
