Life expectancy for transsexuals

[sweetie87]

I was wondering if there's anything known about the life expectancy of transsexuals? Does HRT shorten your life or is it just safe and making little or no difference? Also the life expectancy in my country is something like 78 for males and 82 for females. Do MTF's and FTM's fit into the category of their target gender with regard to life expectancy?

On the internet there is some information about HRT and life expectancy but there's little info on long-term follow-up and I assume there are many transsexuals who have transitioned decades ago who are currently in their 70s or 80s?

I wonder if anyone has ever gotten into this sort of things.

[annette]

Hi Sweetie

My life insurance is based on women's age.
They know I'm tg coz I had to write it down on registration when they asked for earlier operations to find out what's the risk for them.
So, I think they have statistics for the long term, coz there is no insurancecompany who would like to pay.
Maybe this can help you answering your question.

hugs
annette

[Nygeel]

If you're speaking only about transgender people who medically transition via hormones and surgery, there is a study about long term treatment and the side effects. I'm only going to copy/paste the results because there is information that cannot be posted here in the study.

Results: Mortality was not higher than in a comparison group. Regarding morbidity, with ethinyl estradiol, there was a 6–8% incidence of venous thrombosis, which is no longer the case with use of other types of estrogens. Continuous use of cross-sex hormones is required to prevent osteoporosis. Androgen deprivation plus an estrogen milieu in male-to-female transsexuals has a larger deleterious effect on cardiovascular risk factors than inducing an androgenic milieu in female-to-male transsexuals, but there is so far no elevated cardiovascular morbidity/mortality. Low numbers of endocrine-related cancers have been observed in male-to-female transsexuals.

Conclusions: Cross-sex hormone treatment of transsexuals seems acceptably safe over the short and medium term, but solid clinical data are lacking.


So, there is no evidence either way, BUT many trans people suffer from depression and many people have been suicidal trying to deal with being transgender which could bring down life expectancy.

[caitlin_adams]

Thanks Nygeel, that is interesting.

Are you able to refer me to the source? I'd be interested in how credible the researchnis.

[Nygeel]

Thanks Nygeel, that is interesting.

Are you able to refer me to the source? I'd be interested in how credible the researchnis.

Not sure as to how much information I can give, or how vague I have to be. Information posted on the website:
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 93, No. 1 19-25
"Long-Term Treatment of Transsexuals with Cross-Sex Hormones: Extensive Personal Experience"

[spacial]

You know something, this reminds me of a quip from many years ago.

If you give up drinking, smoking and sex, you don't really live longer, it just seems that way.

So, do you want to be a miserable old g<whatever>?

[sweetie87]

@Annette;  well that's interesting information if your life insurance scales you in as female without extra charges. Of course as an insurance company they wouldn't take any risk.

@Nygeel; Yep I found the same study it's an interesting read but not much long-term information.

I was asking this question merely out of personal interest. I'm not scared to have shortened my life a couple of years by being trans. I'd rather live up to be 75 and be happy instead of going to be 85 and being unhappy. For the record I'm in my early 20s and many years on HRT.

Anyone else has any information? Just wondering if there are any 70+ people on this forum? Lynn Conway is a perfect example of someone who is 72 and been on HRT for decades. She looks much younger than she is however.. that leads me to another thought; are most transsexuals generally looking younger than they actually are? When I was 19 people would estimate me 16 sometimes despite my height

[KillBelle]

I deal with this thought a LOT and it makes me really depressed. I am always living under this storm cloud that is always there reminding me that i am trans and because i started young, i am slowly destroying myself in every way inside and out. It is not death that i am afraid of...it is the fear that i would not have lived enough of my life before i go.
I missed out on 19 years of my life as a boy, yes i am a girl now in my twenties but i was only born 5 years ago...and already everyone tells me i will die soon. Even my boyfriend is so happy and so optimistic about life...sometimes i wonder if i can ever be THAT happy and carefree about nothing and everything. But yeah...blah how depressing it is.

[sweetie87]

Hmm... i'm sorry you feel depressed because of this stuff. I wish there was anything to relieve it.. you're definitely not destroying yourself! You just did what you had to do to become a girl. Are you also saying that because we started young we are at higher risk because we are exposed to cross-sex hormones for a longer period of time? I'm not sure on that one and wonder if it is true or not...?

[KillBelle]

Yep..that's exactly what i am saying. I remember holding my mom's hand as they were wheeling me into the operating room the day of my SRS...like everything in that hospital was cold...and uninviting...the bare lights, the bare walls...the smell...the anticipation. I was scared because i knew the moment i let go i would be alone again, but thats the thing with gender dysphoria...no matter what ANYONE tells you...you are in it alone. All the time, it is a battle between mind and heart. It's such a personal and fantastical journey.
Even when she asked me if i knew what i was doing at that exact moment, the only thing i could muster was...even if i will die on that operating table...i would not regret it. Because i wont live a life without being myself, ill risk all my future for 5 minutes to know what it feels like to be a woman.

Such is life then, i live every second now doing a lot of thinking and trying to put this world into perspective.

[MsVeggieMonster]

I recently read about an article studying a prison where they castrated some of the inmates; those inmates ended up living much longer then the non-castrated ones.  It did a lot of detail and said that most of the difference between Men and Women in life expectancy were hormones, not genetics, so that helps out transwomen at least.

There is a cool website called real age that really helps you know your risk factors and what you can do to live longer.

I try to be healthy and everything but I'm sure the #1 thing that drags our overall expectancy down is self-inflicted harm; our rates are much higher then the rest of the population.  Do everything you can to stay happy and healthy and manage stress!

[spacial]

...and already everyone tells me i will die soon.

No wonder you've been feeling dispondent lately.

There is no reason why you will die soon.

but I do know, unhappiness is a habit.

[Northern Jane]

On the internet there is some information about HRT and life expectancy but there's little info on long-term follow-up and I assume there are many transsexuals who have transitioned decades ago who are currently in their 70s or 80s?

Much probably depends on the age of transition.

I had SRS in 1974 and am now 61. There are so few of us from that far back that there aren't any statistics yet.

I'll be a statistic - I will let you know when I croak ! LOL!

[Simone Louise]

Anyone else has any information? Just wondering if there are any 70+ people on this forum? Lynn Conway is a perfect example of someone who is 72 and been on HRT for decades. She looks much younger than she is however.. that leads me to another thought; are most transsexuals generally looking younger than they actually are? When I was 19 people would estimate me 16 sometimes despite my height

I am 70, but I wasn't going to respond because I am not on hormones, yet. It was your remark about looking young. I remember being a senior in college: every time I told a stranger who asked that I was a senior, they wanted to know what high school. Last checkup, my primary doctor said to tell my wife (who always worries about my health for me) that I have the body of a man  ten to fifteen years younger than my age. And that seems to be how people see me.

Tomorrow will be my third session of gender therapy--ever. All my life I figured it was a matter of will power (I can be one of the most stubborn people you will ever meet). But I still spend hours every day massaging the issues in my mind, compromising and making bargains with myself. I don't know what will come of the therapy, but I get so excited about having someone (outside my brain and, for the last three years, Susan's) to talk to, that the time between sessions really drags.

May you live (and be active) long and prosper,
S

[MillieB]

Don't really want to put a downer on what is already a pretty depressing thread but I think that the high suicide rate amonst trans people will alter our life expectency stats!

[Nicky]

Something to consider,

Can you do much about it? Not really. I mean we can do the same as everyone else, diet, exercise, live healthy.

And just for another perspective, even if you do not live as long now because of hormones, are you really living pre treatment?

[Michelle.]

Nygeel thanks for the info, cool stuff.

I wonder just how much exercise is needed to counter act the cardiac effects of longterm HRT.

It's also interesting to read that some posters life insurance cover them at female rates. I too would assume that actuaries know what their talking about in our case. One more base covered in getting SRS covered by Health Insurance Co.... Hey if you guy a cover this, you won't get sued when she commits suicide.

[Sarah B]

Well someone once said us fossils have to stick around to let the young'uns know what is possible in life or to give them a little insight further on down the track.  So here goes, most of my life I have always been pegged around being 10 years younger than I look.

My partners funny enough have always been younger than me .  I have been on hormones for 22 years, except for a couple of years and also not having the right dosage supposedly after my surgery.  I have not had any problems in taking them.  In fact, I have had more health problems when I was not taking them.

Well as most of you know or figured out I'm fifty two , in fact I do not feel my age and I can say to you, I will be kicking and screaming as I go to my grave.  Literally and figuratively.

I'm going to live to for another 50 years or so if I can help it and goodness knows what medicine will achieve in that time to help us geriatrics.

As one famous fictional character once said "Live long and prosper" everyone.

Kind regards
Sarah  B

[Cindy]

Being one of the old tarts, I'll bite,

I'm 58, I'm fit, I work out, I try to live every day. Life expectancies apply to populations and never to individuals (fundamental statistical rule). But importantly why do you want to know?  What would you do? And, why? If you wake up in the morning you tell your partner you love him, her, whatever. Look in the mirror and be proud that you can face yourself in the mirror and live the day; that's enough. Everything else is a bonus or a loss.

Cindy

[sweetie87]

Being one of the old tarts, I'll bite,

I'm 58, I'm fit, I work out, I try to live every day. Life expectancies apply to populations and never to individuals (fundamental statistical rule). But importantly why do you want to know?  What would you do? And, why? If you wake up in the morning you tell your partner you love him, her, whatever. Look in the mirror and be proud that you can face yourself in the mirror and live the day; that's enough. Everything else is a bonus or a loss.

Cindy

There was no real reason as to why I want to know about life expectancies, it's just something of general interest. Being trans myself I just wondered if there was anything known about the subject from a scientific viewpoint or if hormones do shorten your life or not... it's really not something that scares me or anything. I'm just eager to learn and curious. Hope that explains. For the rest I'm happy and live life to the max . Ooh and 58 is not really that old!

Sweetie