Some Transwomen Are Getting Deadly Discount Surgery. How Can We Help Them Stop?

By:           Daniel Villarreal
On:           Aug 22, 2011

http://www.queerty.com/some-transwomen-are-getting-deadly-discount-surgery-how-can-we-help-them-stop-20110822/

The New York City Health Department estimates that around 12,500 transgender people live in the city. And not all of them have the $70,000 or the medical insurance to get a safe, medically-approved gender reassignment surgery. So they go to "Pumpers" who illegally provide hormones and silicone injections in their apartments and hotel rooms for a much lower price.

The only problem? Sometimes these Pumpers inject loose silicon, cooking oil or industrial-grade silicone meant for vehicles into these women's bodies. Often these injections help transwomen look feminine in the short term, but eventually result in disfiguring, calcified clumps that slide down the body that cause intense pain as well as severe illnesses like autoimmune and connective tissue disorders, pulmonary embolism and even death.