A recently published study highlights a concerning rise in “sex change” surgeries performed in the United States. Irreversible “trans” procedures increased almost threefold between 2016 and 2019, with a substantial proportion involving young individuals seeking chest mutilation or reconstruction. The study was conducted by three medical doctors associated with Columbia University and the University of Southern California, and was published in the JAMA Network Open journal last week. Even the Los Angeles Times is taking notice. (Read here)
Around 48,000 individuals underwent these surgeries over the course of the five-year examination, with approximately 13,000 procedures conducted in 2019 before slightly dropping to 12,800 in 2020, likely due to the pandemic. Slightly over half of the patients fell within the age range of 19 to 30. During the peak year, approximately 1,200 surgeries were performed on patients aged 18 and younger.
According to the study, “the overall number of health system encounters for gender identity disorder rose from 13,855 in 2016 to 38,470 in 2020.” Billing codes for gender dysphoria consistently increased in conjunction with surgical interventions, rising from 32.9% of billable diagnosed disorders in 2016 to 37.1% in 2019.
Further, 60.5% of individuals who underwent these procedures utilized private insurance, while 25.3% relied on Medicaid. The vast majority of patients (42,467 or 88.4%) underwent the surgeries at urban teaching hospitals, and it was noted that a disproportionate number of patients resided in the western United States (22,037 or 45.9%) and in the northeast (12,396 or 25.8 percent).
Additional research shows that the drastic increase in cases of gender dysphoria is likely caused by social contagion. LifeSite News reports that the majority of trans-identifying teens had previosuly joined social groups of other adolescents experiencing gender confusion, and they had typically been diagnosed with at least one mental disorder as well.
Unfortunately, two bills that would enable more “trans surgeries” are currently in the California Senate waiting approval. AB 571 would “require insurance companies to provide liability and damage coverage at standard malpractice rates for abortion and transitioning drugs and surgery providers.” Similarly, AB 1432 would “require group health insurance policies in CA to cover abortion, abortion-related services, and transitioning drugs (puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones) and sex change surgeries.” The last thing that patients suffering from gender dysphoria need is greater access to bodily mutilation and irreversible damage.
Gender-affirming procedures mutilate healthy bodies, promote dangerous lies, and cause irreversible damage such as infertility. It’s time to put an end to this medical abuse and protect California children before it’s too late.
