2004/07/30/Sex changes are not effective
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- when: 2004/07/30
- author: David Batty
- source: The Guardian
- topics: sex reassignment surgery/misrepresentation
- keywords
- link: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/jul/30/health.mentalhealth
- title: Sex changes are not effective, say researchers
- summary: “There is no conclusive evidence that sex change operations improve the lives of transsexuals, with many people remaining severely distressed and even suicidal after the operation, according to a medical review conducted exclusively for Guardian Weekend tomorrow.”
This is a misleading article. The essential points for understanding why it is misleading:
- The study in question involved a review of only double-blind trials involving sex reassignment surgery (SRS)
- It is not possible to ethically conduct double-blind SRS studies, for multiple reasons...
- There is no placebo for SRS; the patient will always know whether they've had it or not.
- Simply withholding treatment from half the patients leads to high suicide rates in those patients
- ...therefore none have been conducted.
- Therefore there will never be evidence which satisfies this criterion.
- There are reasonable ways to study the question scientifically, however:
- long-term study: measure the quality of life of SRS recipients before and after surgery
- demographic-corrected: measure the quality of life of SRS recipients after surgery and compare them to the average quality of life of transsexuals before surgery
- self-evaluation: ask transsexuals after surgery whether they feel better
Analyses:
- 2014-08-02 A commentary on the 2004 ARIF study and the Guardian article "Sex changes are not effective, say researchers" (major source for the above analysis)