Difference between revisions of "2004/07/30/Sex changes are not effective"

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* '''link''': [[URL::https://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/jul/30/health.mentalhealth]]
 
* '''link''': [[URL::https://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/jul/30/health.mentalhealth]]
 
* '''title''': [[title::Sex changes are not effective, say researchers ]]
 
* '''title''': [[title::Sex changes are not effective, say researchers ]]
* '''summary''': [[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.”]]
+
* '''summary''': [[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 article [[sex reassignment surgery/misrepresentation|misleadingly represents]] what is known about the effects of SRS.]]
 
This is a misleading article. The essential points for understanding why it is misleading:
 
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)
 
* The study in question involved a review of ''only'' [[double-blind]] trials involving [[sex reassignment surgery]] (SRS)

Revision as of 13:52, 21 June 2020

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:

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