Truths About Detransition

A ‘Wrong Way’ sign

By Travis Gray

Across the USA, anti-transgender legislation is raging forward. In Texas and Idaho, they are moving towards banning transgender healthcare for people under 18. When I see people debating my right to live, I see a consistent argument from the other side: “What about when these kids change their minds?” “What if they regret it in the future?” “What about the high rates of detransition?” etc. I’m here to talk about people who do decide to detransition – why, who, when, and the big one, the rates. I’m not here to talk about what makes a person transgender, or whether kids should or shouldn’t transition. I am here to share the research I have done, since according to certain sides, science reigns over feelings when it comes to gender.  

The first study I explored was from the European Professional Association for Transgender Health (EPATH) where they reported on detransition rates; they studied records from Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic in the United Kingdom. They found that from August 2016 to August 2017 “of the 3398 patients who had appointments during this period, 16 (0.47%) expressed transition-related regret or detransitioned” (Davies, et al. 139). When these patients discussed their reasons for regret, they had a multitude of answers; “one patient expressed regret but was not considering detransitioning, two had expressed regret and were considering detransitioning, three had detransitioned, and ten had detransitioned temporarily. Only three patients made a long-term detransition.” (Davies, et al. 139). From this instance we can see that out of 3398 people, only 0.089% of patients officially detransitioned. When discussing kiddos, according to Gender GP, a study from the Netherlands found that “only 1.9% of young people on puberty blockers did not want to continue with the medical transition.” From two studies, we can see that it was a small amount of folks who followed through with some sort of detransition. 

Now why do people detransition? It can be for a variety of reasons. Transgender individuals face various obstacles socially, economically, legally, and medically. According to this study by Fenway Health, “The most common reason cited for detransition was pressure from a parent (35.5%), pressure from their community or societal stigma (32.5%), or trouble finding a job (26.8%). Other reasons included pressure from medical health professionals (5.6%) or religious leaders (5.3%).” This is followed up from a survey of 28,000 transgender people from the USA where it provided statistics that “Nearly one-third (31%) of respondents who visited a store, restaurant, hotel, or theater where the staff knew or thought they were transgender were mistreated because of their gender identity or expression,” (215), and that “Nearly half (48%) of respondents reported that they were denied equal treatment or service, verbally harassed, and/or physically attacked because of being transgender in the past year” (199). There’s always a burning fear of physical or verbal assault, an itch so bad that it makes sense to hide from it. Furthermore, many transgender people lose the support of family members, friends, and coworkers when they come out as transgender- it can be isolating and scary. If the option is to revert their prior identity so they can return to love and support, no wonder people do it. During the pandemic we found how hard it was to be alone with no one to talk to. Imagine if that was because someone despised you for your identity, even though it was someone who was supposed to love you for who you are. 

In the EPATH article, “detransition was most often prompted by social difficulties rather than changes in gender identity or physical complications and was most often temporary” (Davies, et al. 139). Temporary? It can be found that when a person starts to get more support and footing for their identity, they may end their detransition and ‘retransition.’ “In the US, a survey of nearly 28,000 people found that only eight percent of respondents reported some kind of detransition. Of these, sixty-two percent only did so temporarily” as reported from this Gender GP article about Detransition Facts and Statistics. While everyone’s transition, detransitions, and possible retransitions are different per person- support is an immense factor. From the study it can be seen that a high portion of folks return to their transgender identity when they feel safe and loved, maybe we can cut the middle man out and start with caring for our fellow people and giving them love, instead of taking their rights away. 

This is not a ‘trans people vs detransitioners’ kind of thing. It’s unfortunate that this care option didn’t work out for those people or that they had obstacles in their way. I feel for them, I really do, and I think we should listen to the stories of people who detransition. Inversely, their stories should not overshadow other experiences of transgender people and the good that can come from transitioning. Through this post I have shared that many factors go into why people detransition. Lack of support is the highest factor to why people detransition, so I fully believe that through support and love, people can find and accept their identities- whether cisgender or transgender. Transition is scary, but ostracizing people is not going to help them with their choices. In the meantime, it’s going to hurt a lot of kids, teens, and adults who are already struggling with the lack of support that the community faces. I know I would not be here today if I hadn’t been able to transition when I was 16 and if I had seen my state working against me to strip my identity from me, it would have broken me. Listen to transgender people, listen to detransitioners, listen to transgender kids, because if this bill goes through… transgender medical care rates for youths will go down, but suicide rates will go up.  

“Multiple trans individuals testified on the record to everyone in that committee that day, that had they not access to the healthcare that they had, that they would not have been there to testify, that they would have killed themselves,” House Representative Ned Burns (D-Bellevue) said during the conference discussing the bill.

https://www.krem.com/article/news/politics/bill-banning-surgery-treatment-transgender-youth-passes-idaho-house/293-aa3b653c-2336-491e-9ead-914f2c59fe44

How Easy is it to Get a Hysterectomy?

A Female Reproductive System. Image taken from: Shuttershock

By Katrina Arellano

When it comes to the bodily autonomy of someone with a female reproductive system, there are certain hoops they have to go through in order to obtain certain medical procedures, such as sterilization. There are various reasons as to why a person would want to undergo the varying kinds such as a hysterectomy or tubal ligation, like not wanting children, being a transgender man, cancer and/or to escape a painful uterine condition. Regardless of why people want to have these procedures, it seems the journey is profoundly long. People under 35 do not typically have a hysterectomy, and while there is no strict minimum age for people to be in order to have the procedure, depending on the insurance and the opinion of medical professionals, people under 35 are not usually accepted. For example, people who utilize Medicaid and seek sterilization for non-medical reasons will not be covered. Since it is federally funded, people who do have serious medical conditions are inclined to wait 30 days between signing the consent form and having the procedure. While private insurance is more willing to help cover the cost of hysterectomies, I talked with a couple of people who said their private insurance will not help cover it despite immense suffering. Even for having private insurance, my dear friend Anai Bell, 23, insurance provider will not help cover the cost of a hysterectomy and despite have undergone alternate procedures, she said. “I’ve been fighting to get one due to my endo and adeno and I can’t until I have at least 3 children.”

Three of the 5 different types of a hysterectomy. Image taken from: Shuttershock

My old friend Zade Coronado, 27, was rejected by a surgeon who said she was not comfortable performing the surgery because even though he is transgender he could still want children of his own later. Zade switched providers, went through a series of counseling, signed a waiver stating he does not want children, and then was approved for a hysterectomy. He said, “This surgery was one of the most important surgeries… I was at higher risk for ovarian cancer because of the hormone treatments I am on.” He even mentioned how the surgeon and staff of St. Luke’s took very good care of him and were all around professional of the whole situation. Hearing of Zade’s experience as a transman was very interesting because I think it reflects a progressive world of doctors accepting dysphoria. On the other hand, it makes me question the lack of opportunity for young women to go about doing something they also feel is the answer to their discomfort. Of course, it is a good idea to thoroughly think about the risks when it comes to any procedure, for there are always side effects no matter the severity, but I also believe it’s important to respect someone’s choice to do whatever they want with their body. If someone is physically suffering for years and keeps going through the pain of trying to have a child, then why make them go through that because of that small chance they may have a child later? I asked Anai if she thought this reflected an internal bias and she said, “Yes and no. Goes back to really understating the circumstances of having a hysterectomy. Many people think it’s due to the ability to have children, but it goes more in-depth like how it affects your body and your mental well being.” I think the backlash emanates from a patriarchal stand point as well as a lack of understanding the mental and physical pain people go through at the hands of their uterus.

Hysterectomies are considered a last resort for all people considering or seeking one because of how invasive these procedures are, as well as the potential mental or physical side effects that could develop afterwards. Because of the potential physical and mental risks of undergoing sterilization, doctors try to encourage patients to seek other avenues that may not be as invasive, especially if someone is under 35. People who want a hysterectomy or their tubes tied are denied for these risks, but I think it’s deeper than wanting patients to be safe. The main reason people with or without serious medical issues are denied appears to be because of the notion of regret that might come later, for that person may want children in the future. My dear friend Jean Kel, 24, explained how some of her female family members are sterile, but have become pregnant and end up miscarrying and she believes she is the same way. She said, “I miscarried twice in my life, both times at 2 months in. The second time caused me to have my first ever seizure from losing so much blood. It was so traumatizing and hormonally I was a mess.” Jean is not alone in her experience of excruciating mental and physical pain of trying to go through a pregnancy, miscarrying, and then having her doctors still deny her sterilization. The collective of stories make me think of how much weight is put on people to have children of their own. It’s as if people and doctors do not want to accept that people, let alone women, are confident in their decisions to not want to conceive.

“I don’t want to conceive, I’d rather adopt. My periods are painful and heavy, and I don’t understand why I should have to go through this when I’m not trying to be pregnant. They always say, “you’re so young, what if you change your mind?” That’s okay but I don’t think I will. I know I won’t, actually. And I hate that I can’t just request it. I don’t understand why the government and medical industry has say over me and my tubes!”

Jean has not been diagnosed due to her financial situation, but hearing her experience alone is enough for me to believe something is wrong and she knows she wants/needs medical attention.

The National Women’s Health Network believes all other options should be exhausted before someone undergoes a hysterectomy, which is understandable, but how long must we make people suffer because of what could or could not happen? Even for all the backlash people hear and may continue to go through for their choice to undergo a hysterectomy, what ultimately matters is doctors listen to their patients’ concerns, doing the best they can without bias, and that the person undergoing the procedure is happy. Everyone’s relationship to their uterus is different and Allie Niemiec of HuffPost was glad to go through a hysterectomy. She wrote a piece on her mental and physical strain before she made it to the surgery table and she shared some powerful words that may help others who are struggling with what may feel like loss, “I want everyone to know I had a hysterectomy, and I am still just as much of a woman as I was before.”

A Very Vegan Thanksgiving

By Kate Ringer

I have been vegan for three months now. I know I am not perfect, I know I have made mistakes, but I have been doing the best that I can.

A drawing by Suzanne Ringer

Veganism has been on my radar since high school when one of my friends started a vegan diet. She claimed she was doing it for health reasons, but I quickly saw just how unhealthy she was while doing it, barely getting any of the nutrients she needed, and I thought she was absolutely crazy for attempting it. Just a few years later, I came to college and I joined the rock climbing team; suddenly, I knew many people that were vegans. These people were nothing like my friend in high school; they were strong and healthy, I frequently saw them eating nuts, fruits, and vegetables while I snacked on potato chips and candy. They weren’t doing the diet for health reasons, they were doing it for environmental and moral reasons. At first, I was incredulous; how could anyone cut all animal products from their diet? That meant no pizza, no cupcakes, no milkshakes! My favorite foods were macaroni and cheese and tacos, and I knew I could never lose those things. I had heard of vegan cheese and other substitutes, but I was wary. Those crazy vegans claimed that their food was just as good, but I knew that couldn’t possibly be true.

White Privilege

Poster of White Privilege

 

By Beatrice Santiago

Privilege… It exists.

What is it?

Where does it come from?

When I think about defining “White Privilege,” I think about how it has affected me in my life. So many moments that I can’t seem to name a specific one. When searching for “white privilege” definitions, it was hard to find some examples. Here is what I found:

Cambridge English Dictionary:

“White Privilege: the fact of people with white skin having advantages in society that other people do not have. The concept of white privilege explains why white people have greater access to society’s legal and political institutions.”

Being Mexican-American

A movie still from Selena

By Beatrice Santiago

 

                                                       “You’re from Mexico, right?”

(A question I get asked all too often.)

Yes and no. I mean my parents are Mexican, yes. But I have never been to Mexico.

So, yes, I am from Mexican descent. I speak the language and love my culture, the music (I jam to it every time), and oh gosh! our food is the best. The tacos, enchiladas, tamales, and mmmm posole. So good. However, I am also American. I was born in the United States. I have lived here my whole life. I grew up in a small town in Southern Idaho–Homedale. Out in the country, I was surrounded by endless fields of corn and many farm animals. Horses were in the backyard.

I also love hamburgers and pizza and enjoy watching American football. Don’t get me wrong, I love both cultures very much, because they are a part of who I am. My Identity. However, it is not easy in the United States. Somehow, I always find myself explaining to people why I am just as American as they are. And, just as Mexican. There is a scene in the movie Selena that explains just what I am saying. Here is the link to that scene. 

Dolores Huerta

A picture of Dolores Huerta.

By Beatrice Santiago

Few people know about this amazing woman. Although, many know Cesar Chavez. He, along with Dolores, worked to fight for the basic rights of farm workers in the fields of California. They fought for better work wages and portable restrooms for the workers, as well as fighting for the rights of Farm workers. But Dolores has not been given the credit she deserves. She did as much work as Cesar did. She is the co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association. This is an organization that fights for the rights of farm workers. Before we get to the work she deserves credit for, let’s talk about some history.

Planned Parenthood

Birth Control Pills

By Beatrice Santiago 

What is Planned Parenthood?

Before we can talk about the resources of Planned Parenthood, I think it is important to understand the history of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood started at a time when sex education and birth control was not permitted in the USA. A woman by the name of Margaret Sanger would soon change all that. She was raised in Corning, New York in 1916. After seeing her mother suffer from seven miscarriages, Margaret Sanger decided to study birth control. She later traveled to Europe where she would learn about not only birth control but sex education. As a huge advocate for Women’s rights, she would soon see restrictions from opponents.

Margaret Sanger

Her first birth control clinic was shut down by police. (However, the clinic was still able to offer information about birth control.) Margaret Sanger spent 30 days in jail for refusing to pay the fine. This experience led her to travel the country and talk about birth control. Eventually, two organizations named Birth Control Clinical Bureau and American Birth Control League, joined to become Planned Parenthood Federation of America. A 1936 court ruling established that birth control and the information given about it would not be seen as immoral. This was one of many barriers birth control and its education has broken through to reach the public prominence it has today.

What are the resources of Planned Parenthood?

When looking at the website of Planned Parenthood, I found it to have easy to find tabs and info for women or anyone wanting resources. Topics cover: Pregnancy Prevention, to Health and Wellness, Sex and Relationships, and Sexually Transmitted

Infections (STDs). Additionally, there are guides for high school students and information about sex education. All this I believe is vital to not only women but men as well. In Idaho, there are three centers of Planned Parenthood: Boise Health Center, Meridian Health Center, and Twin Falls Health Center. Therefore, if you wanted to go to one in Idaho from Moscow, it would be about a six-hour drive. That is a long distance. Luckily, there is one across the border in Pullman, Washington.

Politics: More Than Just A Game

By: Madelyn Starritt

Let’s talk about politics. No, not the name calling, whining, Democrats vs Republicans type of politics, but the nature of all political debates. The issues that we consider “politics” and how we fight over them not based on whether we think they are morally right or wrong but based on whether there is an “R” or a “D” next to the issue.

We treat these things like a game with winners and losers. But politics is more than a game, it is people’s lives. The “losers” in these situations will deal with more than their hurt pride, the laws and decisions made in politics change lives for better and for worse, this is something that should be taken seriously, not played with like a game.

Male Circumcision in the United States and Consent

For the past two weeks I’ve talked about consent in the context of sex and how consent relates to individuals who are intersex. This week I want to broaden the discussion on a child’s right to decide what happens to their body through an exploration on circumcision.

During the Victorian Era, circumcision became a widespread practice as a treatment for masturbation. At this time, it was the belief of many doctors that masturbation led to many diseases, and that by removing one of the most sensitive parts of the penis, it could be prevented. Male circumcision was not just prevalent in the United States, but in all English-speaking countries at the time, such as Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. However, the practice decreased significantly in all of those countries except the United States in the following years. Now, between 60 to 90% of American boys are circumcised, depending on the region they live in, but only 16% of boys in Great Britain are circumcised, even though both countries were influenced by the ideas in the Victorian Era. So why is the United States still engaging in this practice?

Gillian Triggs: Standing up for human rights in the land down under

By Lauren Anthony

Empowering women all over the world are spreading awareness of women’s issues and standing up for what they believe in. This week, our blog is focusing on empowering women who have left or continue to make great strides in women’s rights that are not taken into account.

Packing our bags, we will be travelling down to Australia, the land down under, to look at Gillian Triggs. Triggs won Australia’s Woman of the Year award in 2015 and was one of many other women who have taken incredible strides to help women in Australia.