Hysterectomy and Oophorectomy Experiences of Female-to-Male Transgender Individuals

ABSTRACT

This study surveyed 134 female-to-male transgendered individuals (FtMs) in order to obtain information about their experience of hysterectomy and oophorectomy. The survey was designed to explore motivation for undergoing surgery, access to care, surgical complications, postoperative changes, and use of standards of care. The survey was distributed at transgender conferences and online via transgender email lists and Web sites. Results demonstrated a wide range of postoperative experiences. Common motives for the surgery were to remove organs that were incongruent with the individual's identity (58%) and also concern about the potential for future medical problems associated with masculinizing hormone therapy (60%). Many sources advocate lowering testosterone after oophorectomy, yet our data reveal that virtually equal numbers of individuals increased (23%) or decreased (25%) testosterone levels postoperatively, and nearly twice as many maintained the same dose (44%). For many respondents hysterectomy and oophorectomy came before a year of living full-time in their preferred gender role (34%), before a full year on hormones (41%), or chest reconstruction (54%). This not only reflects the diversity of experience in this population but also has implications for the relevance and implementation of the Standards of Care for Gender Identity Disorders.

KEYWORDS:

• Female-to-male
• hysterectomy
• standards of care
• transgender
• transsexual
• testosterone
• FtM
• gender identity
• transman
• sex reassignment surgery

Notes

*Totals do not equal 100% because respondents were allowed to select more than one reason.

*Eligibility criteria recommended in the sixth edition of SOC (Meyer et al. 2001). Proportions calculated from the total sample (n = 134).

1. It should be noted that the Standards of Care is periodically revised and that criteria are updated. The criteria referenced in a given study usually reflect the version current to that study. This 1999 study was written prior to the most current version of the Standards of Care, which was published in 2001.

2. Keloid scars are often raised and shiny, and tend to extend beyond the margins of the original wound site. Though anyone may develop keloid scars, darker-skinned people are more at risk.