- Of the 68 trans men, 95% developed pelvic floor dysfunction after taking hormones
Transgender men suffer from postmenopausal bladder and bowel problems as a result of using testosterone, a study shows.
Researchers found that of the 68 transgender men who participated in the study, 95 percent developed pelvic floor dysfunction after taking the hormone to transition from female to male. Telegraph reports.
The study identified bladder and bowel problems such as incontinence in participants aged 18 years and over and with an average age of 28 years. Doctors would typically expect such symptoms in a ‘postmenopausal’ woman.
Urinary incontinence, frequent trips to the toilet and bedwetting affected 87 percent of participants, while intestinal problems such as constipation affected 74 percent.
About one in four transgender men suffered from incontinence, which is three times the rate for women.
Researchers found that of the 68 transgender men who participated in the study, 95 percent developed pelvic floor dysfunction after taking the hormone to transition from female to male (file image)
Other bladder and bowel problems experienced by the trans men in the study included frequent urination at night, difficulty passing stools and a burning sensation when urinating.
Sexual dysfunction affected 53 percent of participants and almost half of them also experienced pain during sex.
The effect of gender reassignment drugs on bodily functions was ‘under-researched and under-reported’ as experts warned that sex reassignment drugs could put young people on ‘exactly the same trajectory’ as people going through menopause, according to the Telegraph.
Pelvic physiotherapist Elaine Miller told the newspaper that women often start to experience ‘leaking’ during the menopause and that female people who use testosterone can suffer from the same problems.
She insisted that more research should be done as it affects many people, who she says are affected in their professional and personal lives by wetting themselves.
“The impact that a little leakage has on the lives of these young people is enormous,” she told the Telegraph.
‘It really needs to be properly discussed within gender clinics, because I would expect that almost 100 percent of female people taking cross-sex hormones would experience these problems.’
Menopause causes those going through it to lose muscle mass and body strength, which in turn can weaken the pelvic floor and cause incontinence.
Testosterone may accelerate menopause by preventing the ovaries from functioning. The ovaries produce estrogen, which can help prevent health problems such as dementia, osteoporosis and coronary heart disease.
Although testosterone has been linked to the loss of hair and muscle mass, its impact on the pelvic floor and incontinence has not been extensively studied.
The researchers behind the study, from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, said the results showed that participants often had at least one of the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction.