The suicide rate doubled among transgender biological men who received vaginoplasty in California, a study has found.In fact, more than twice as many men who identify as transgender women had attempted suicide after receiving the surgery when compared to those who had not undergone the procedure, according to the Journal of Urology.The paper's six authors assessed 869 patients who received a vaginoplasty and 357 people who received a phalloplasty in California between 2012 and 2018. The attempted-suicide rate among post-vaginoplasty patients was 3.3%, more than double the pre-surgery rate of 1.5%. The data on patients originated from the state’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.Vaginoplasty “involves the removal of a man’s penis, testicles and scrotum” to sculpt a “feminine-appearing” vaginal canal and vulva, according to John Hopkins Medicine. In phalloplasty surgery, skin is taken to create a male-appearing penis on a woman, according to UCSF Transgender Care. Both surgeries are conducted on transgender people to give them the appearance of the opposite sex.One or more emergency room or in-patient psych encounter was reported in 22.2% of vaginoplasty patients before the surgery, the study said. After the procedure, 33.9% of vaginoplasty patients who had a reported psychiatric encounter beforehand experienced another.At least one ER or in-patient psych encounter was reported in 20.7% of phalloplasty patients before the surgery. Afterwards, 26.5% of phalloplasty patients who had a reported psych encounter beforehand experienced another.“Rates of psychiatric emergencies are high both before and after surgery. Although both the phalloplasty and vaginoplasty patients have similar overall rates of psychiatric encounters, suicide attempts are more common in the latter," the authors stated."In fact, our observed rate of suicide attempts in the phalloplasty group is actually similar to the general population, while the vaginoplasty group’s rate is more than double that of the general population. Patients undergoing vaginoplasty with a history of prior psychiatric emergencies or feminizing transition are at a higher risk and should be counseled appropriately."
