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== Transgender life expectancy ==
== Transgender life expectancy ==

⚫
One false statistic widely circulated by media and transgender people claims that the life expectancy of [[Transgender woman|transgender women]] of color is only 35 years old; however, this is not corroborated by any research.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Herzog |first=Katie |date=23 September 2019 |title=Is the Life Expectancy of Trans Women in the U.S. Just 35? No. |url=https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2019/09/23/41471629/is-the-life-expectancy-of-trans-women-in-the-us-just-35-no |access-date=2023-10-22 |website=The Stranger |language=en}}</ref>
=== Mortality misinformation ===
⚫
One unsubstantiated statistic widely circulated by media and transgender people claims that the life expectancy of [[Transgender woman|transgender women]] of color is only 35 years old; however, this is not corroborated by any research.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Herzog |first=Katie |date=23 September 2019 |title=Is the Life Expectancy of Trans Women in the U.S. Just 35? No. |url=https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2019/09/23/41471629/is-the-life-expectancy-of-trans-women-in-the-us-just-35-no |access-date=2023-10-22 |website=The Stranger |language=en}}</ref>

=== Transgender mortality studies ===
A 2021 study in the Netherlands found that males receiving hormone treatment were experiencing higher mortality rates compared to both men and women in the general population. The elevated mortality did not decrease over time. The increase in mortality was attributed to lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV-related disease, and suicide.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=de Blok |first=Christel JM |last2=Wiepjes |first2=Chantal M |last3=van Velzen |first3=Daan M |last4=Staphorsius |first4=Annemieke S |last5=Nota |first5=Nienke M |last6=Gooren |first6=Louis JG |last7=Kreukels |first7=Baudewijntje PC |last8=den Heijer |first8=Martin |date=2021-10 |title=Mortality trends over five decades in adult transgender people receiving hormone treatment: a report from the Amsterdam cohort of gender dysphoria |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2213858721001856 |journal=The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology |language=en |volume=9 |issue=10 |pages=663–670 |doi=10.1016/S2213-8587(21)00185-6}}</ref>

A 2023 cohort study in England found that transgender and gender-diverse individuals "had elevated overall mortality compared with cisgender people, specifically deaths from external causes (suicides, homicides, and accidental poisonings), [[Endocrine disease|endocrine disorders]], and other ill-defined and unspecified causes."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jackson |first=Sarah S. |last2=Brown |first2=Jalen |last3=Pfeiffer |first3=Ruth M. |last4=Shrewsbury |first4=Duncan |last5=O’Callaghan |first5=Stewart |last6=Berner |first6=Alison M. |last7=Gadalla |first7=Shahinaz M. |last8=Shiels |first8=Meredith S. |date=2023-01-30 |title=Analysis of Mortality Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults in England |url=https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800814 |journal=JAMA Network Open |language=en |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=e2253687 |doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.53687 |issn=2574-3805 |pmc=PMC9887492 |pmid=36716027}}</ref>

A 2023 Danish study suggested that transgender individuals showed significantly elevated rates of suicide attempts, suicide deaths, non-suicide-related deaths, and overall mortality when compared to non-trans-identifying individuals.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Erlangsen |first=Annette |last2=Jacobsen |first2=Anna Lund |last3=Ranning |first3=Anne |last4=Delamare |first4=Alex Lauridsen |last5=Nordentoft |first5=Merete |last6=Frisch |first6=Morten |date=2023-06-27 |title=Transgender Identity and Suicide Attempts and Mortality in Denmark |url=https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2806531 |journal=JAMA |language=en |volume=329 |issue=24 |pages=2145 |doi=10.1001/jama.2023.8627 |issn=0098-7484 |pmc=PMC10300682 |pmid=37367977}}</ref>

A 2011 Swedish cohort study found that individuals "after sex reassignment, have considerably higher risks for mortality, suicidal behavior, and psychiatric morbidity than the general population."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dhejne |first=Cecilia |last2=Lichtenstein |first2=Paul |last3=Boman |first3=Marcus |last4=Johansson |first4=Anna L. V. |last5=Långström |first5=Niklas |last6=Landén |first6=Mikael |date=2011-02-22 |title=Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3043071/ |journal=PLoS ONE |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=e16885 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0016885 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=3043071 |pmid=21364939}}</ref>

Another study from 2011 found a 51% increase in mortality for hormone-treated trans-identifying males. The increase in mortality was primarily attributed to non-hormone-related causes but may be associated with an increase in risk for cardiovascular death from [[Ethinylestradiol|ethinyl estradiol]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Asscheman |first=Henk |last2=Giltay |first2=Erik J |last3=Megens |first3=Jos A J |last4=de Ronde |first4=W (Pim) |last5=van Trotsenburg |first5=Michael A A |last6=Gooren |first6=Louis J G |date=2011-04-01 |title=A long-term follow-up study of mortality in transsexuals receiving treatment with cross-sex hormones |url=https://academic.oup.com/ejendo/article/164/4/635/6677009 |journal=European Journal of Endocrinology |volume=164 |issue=4 |pages=635–642 |doi=10.1530/EJE-10-1038 |issn=0804-4643}}</ref>

A 2019 analysis of health records concluded that trans-identifying patients had significantly higher rates of [[Major depressive disorder|MDD]], [[Dysthymia]], [[Bipolar disorder]], [[anxiety disorder]], [[Post-traumatic stress disorder|PTSD]], [[Obsessive–compulsive disorder|OCD]], [[schizophrenia]] and [[schizoaffective disorder]], [[adjustment disorder]], [[dissociative disorder]], [[Somatic symptom disorder|somatoform disorder]], [[personality disorder]], [[Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder|ADHD]], [[Pervasive developmental disorder|PDD]], and [[Autism spectrum|autism]] when compared to the general population of 53,449,400 patients. They also had increased rates of inimical chemical dependencies, including alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, and tobacco.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wanta |first=Jonathon W. |last2=Niforatos |first2=Joshua D. |last3=Durbak |first3=Emily |last4=Viguera |first4=Adele |last5=Altinay |first5=Murat |date=2019-11-01 |title=Mental Health Diagnoses Among Transgender Patients in the Clinical Setting: An All-Payer Electronic Health Record Study |url=https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/trgh.2019.0029 |journal=Transgender Health |language=en |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=313–315 |doi=10.1089/trgh.2019.0029 |issn=2380-193X |pmc=PMC6830528 |pmid=31701012}}</ref> Some of these factors likely contribute to the higher rates of morbidity and mortality among trans-identifying individuals.


== See also ==
== See also ==

Revision as of 21:03, 27 October 2023

The life expectancy of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is a subject of research. Early research claiming a significantly shorter life expectancy among homosexuals are not considered reliable, although has been widely misused and cited.[1][2][3][4] During the AIDS crisis, a significant loss of life expectancy was observed among gay men, although this is no longer the case today.[3][2]

In the late 2000s, research suggested "the claims of drastically increased overall mortality in gay men and lesbians appear unjustified".[5] As of 2020, data from Sweden found no gap in mortality between homosexual and heterosexual individuals, although mortality may be higher in bisexuals.[6]

There is not yet reliable research on life expectancy of transgender people, although false statistics have been widely circulated.[7]

Homosexual life expectancy

Flawed claims of significantly shorter life expectancy

Cameron studies

Early studies by the controversial psychologist Paul Cameron purported to find that homosexuals had a life expectancy 20 to 30 years shorter than heterosexuals; however his methodology and flaws make his findings unreliable. Cameron's methodology was described as "just ridiculous" by demographer Nicholas Eberstadt at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, and the epidemiologist Morten Frisch said the research flaws were ''of such a grave nature that no decent peer-reviewed scientific journal should let it pass for publication".[2] Cameron had relied on newspaper obituaries which clearly referred to sexual orientation. In the 1980s, Cameron had been expelled from the American Psychological Association for misrepresentations of scientific research.[2]

Hogg et al.

Another study published in 1998 by Hogg et al. modelled the impact of AIDS deaths in Vancouver between 1987 and 1992, estimating a loss of life expectancy in the gay male population of between 8 and 20 years.[2] The authors released a statement in 2001 clarifying that their findings would no longer be relevant as AIDS deaths had fallen significantly,[3] primarily due to antiretroviral therapy.[2]

Misuse

Despite the flaws of Paul Cameron's research, and the limitations of the Hogg study, many anti-gay groups and figures have cited these studies to characterize homosexuality as inherently dangerous or as an unhealthy "lifestyle".[8][2] Paul Cameron's research group claimed that homosexuality is "as dangerous to public health as drug abuse, prostitution, and smoking".[5] In 1997, the U.S. secretary of education William Bennett made the claim during a television interview that gay men die at 43 years, a figure from the flawed Cameron study.[4][9]

In response to frequent misuse, Hogg et al. noted their findings would no longer be applicable in 2001.[3] In 2003, the economist Walter E. Williams cited the Hogg study to argue that homosexuals should pay more for life insurance, stating "that's a lifestyle shortening of life expectancy greater than obesity and tobacco use".[10] In 2012, the Australian Anglican Archbisohop Peter Jensen claimed homosexuality reduced the lifespan by 20 years in a debate on same-sex marriage.[1]

Frisch 2009 and 2013 studies

The Danish epidemiologist Morten Frisch carried out more robust research in 2009 using marriage data from Denmark. His study found excess mortality was limited to the first few years of marriage, consistent with men who had preexisting illnesses (such as HIV/AIDS) marrying and dying.[1] Frisch stated "we observed a drastic reduction from 9.63 excess deaths per 1000 person-years among those who married their partner in the pre-HAART period to 1.53 excess deaths per 1000 person-years for those who married during the HAART period". According to Frisch, "the claims of drastically increased overall mortality in gay men and lesbians appear unjustified".[5]

Same-sex marriage has been linked with increases in life expectancy compared to unmarried same-sex couples.[11]

In 2013, Frisch also carried out another study which found excess mortality in homosexual men had shrunk further.[11][12][13] It linked same-sex marriage with increases in life expectancy.[11]

2014 retraction

A 2014 study purported to find that sexual minorities living in areas with high levels of anti-gay prejudice had their life expectancy reduced by 12 years. However, it was retracted in 2019 when it was discovered there was a coding error in the data, and that after correcting the error it "rendered the association between structural stigma and mortality risk no longer statistically significant".[14]

Other mortality studies

A 2020 study in Sweden found that mortality among homosexual men and women did not significantly differ from heterosexuals, although it was elevated for bisexual men and women.[6]

Transgender life expectancy

Mortality misinformation

One unsubstantiated statistic widely circulated by media and transgender people claims that the life expectancy of transgender women of color is only 35 years old; however, this is not corroborated by any research.[7]

Transgender mortality studies

A 2021 study in the Netherlands found that males receiving hormone treatment were experiencing higher mortality rates compared to both men and women in the general population. The elevated mortality did not decrease over time. The increase in mortality was attributed to lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV-related disease, and suicide.[15]

A 2023 cohort study in England found that transgender and gender-diverse individuals "had elevated overall mortality compared with cisgender people, specifically deaths from external causes (suicides, homicides, and accidental poisonings), endocrine disorders, and other ill-defined and unspecified causes."[16]

A 2023 Danish study suggested that transgender individuals showed significantly elevated rates of suicide attempts, suicide deaths, non-suicide-related deaths, and overall mortality when compared to non-trans-identifying individuals.[17]

A 2011 Swedish cohort study found that individuals "after sex reassignment, have considerably higher risks for mortality, suicidal behavior, and psychiatric morbidity than the general population."[18]

Another study from 2011 found a 51% increase in mortality for hormone-treated trans-identifying males. The increase in mortality was primarily attributed to non-hormone-related causes but may be associated with an increase in risk for cardiovascular death from ethinyl estradiol.[19]

A 2019 analysis of health records concluded that trans-identifying patients had significantly higher rates of MDD, Dysthymia, Bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, PTSD, OCD, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, adjustment disorder, dissociative disorder, somatoform disorder, personality disorder, ADHD, PDD, and autism when compared to the general population of 53,449,400 patients. They also had increased rates of inimical chemical dependencies, including alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, and tobacco.[20] Some of these factors likely contribute to the higher rates of morbidity and mortality among trans-identifying individuals.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Phillips, Nicky; Zwartz, Barney (2012-09-11). "'Unhealthy' gay lifestyle claims tied to bad study". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Corvino, John (2013). What's Wrong with Homosexuality?. Philosophy in action. Oxford University Press. pp. 52–56. ISBN 978-0-19-985631-2. OL 25372569M.
  3. ^ a b c d Hogg, Robert S; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Craib, Kevin JP; O'shaughnessy, Michael V; Montaner, Julio; Schechter, Martin T (2001). "Gay life expectancy revisited". International Journal of Epidemiology. 30 (6): 1499–1499. doi:10.1093/ije/30.6.1499. ISSN 1464-3685. if we were to repeat this analysis today the life expectancy of gay and bisexual men would be greatly improved. Deaths from HIV infection have declined dramatically in this population since 1996
  4. ^ a b Olson, Walter (1997-12-19). "William Bennett, Gays, and the Truth". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  5. ^ a b c Frisch, Morten; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik (2009). "Mortality Among Men and Women in Same-Sex Marriage: A National Cohort Study of 8333 Danes". American Journal of Public Health. 99 (1): 133–137. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2008.133801. ISSN 0090-0036. PMC 2636618. PMID 19008504. the claims of drastically increased overall mortality in gay men and lesbians appear unjustified
  6. ^ a b Lindström, Martin; Rosvall, Maria (2020-11-01). "Sexual orientation and all-cause mortality: A population-based prospective cohort study in southern Sweden". Public Health in Practice. 1: 1–3. doi:10.1016/j.puhip.2020.100032. ISSN 2666-5352. PMID 36101682.
  7. ^ a b Herzog, Katie (23 September 2019). "Is the Life Expectancy of Trans Women in the U.S. Just 35? No". The Stranger. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  8. ^ Knauer, Nancy J. (2016). Gay and Lesbian Elders: History, Law, and Identity Politics in the United States. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-13089-5.
  9. ^ Schlatter, Evelyn; Steinback, Robert (2011). "10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked". Southern Poverty Law Center.
  10. ^ Gettys, Travis. "Professor: Being gay is like smoking, so charge LGBT people more for life insurance - Raw Story". Raw Story. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  11. ^ a b c Pappas, Stephanie (2013-03-12). "Same-Sex Marriage Linked to Longer Lives". Live Science. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  12. ^ Frisch, Morten; Simonsen, Jacob (2013-03-08). "Marriage, cohabitation and mortality in Denmark: national cohort study of 6.5 million persons followed for up to three decades (1982–2011)". International Journal of Epidemiology. 42 (2): 559–578. doi:10.1093/ije/dyt024. ISSN 1464-3685.
  13. ^ Griebling, Tomas L. (2016). "Sexuality and aging: a focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) needs in palliative and end of life care". Current Opinion in Supportive & Palliative Care. 10 (1): 95–101. doi:10.1097/SPC.0000000000000196. ISSN 1751-4258.
  14. ^ Oransky, Ivan (2019). "Study claiming hate cuts 12 years off gay lives retracted". Retraction Watch. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  15. ^ de Blok, Christel JM; Wiepjes, Chantal M; van Velzen, Daan M; Staphorsius, Annemieke S; Nota, Nienke M; Gooren, Louis JG; Kreukels, Baudewijntje PC; den Heijer, Martin (2021-10). "Mortality trends over five decades in adult transgender people receiving hormone treatment: a report from the Amsterdam cohort of gender dysphoria". The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 9 (10): 663–670. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(21)00185-6. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ Jackson, Sarah S.; Brown, Jalen; Pfeiffer, Ruth M.; Shrewsbury, Duncan; O’Callaghan, Stewart; Berner, Alison M.; Gadalla, Shahinaz M.; Shiels, Meredith S. (2023-01-30). "Analysis of Mortality Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults in England". JAMA Network Open. 6 (1): e2253687. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.53687. ISSN 2574-3805. PMC 9887492. PMID 36716027.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  17. ^ Erlangsen, Annette; Jacobsen, Anna Lund; Ranning, Anne; Delamare, Alex Lauridsen; Nordentoft, Merete; Frisch, Morten (2023-06-27). "Transgender Identity and Suicide Attempts and Mortality in Denmark". JAMA. 329 (24): 2145. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.8627. ISSN 0098-7484. PMC 10300682. PMID 37367977.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  18. ^ Dhejne, Cecilia; Lichtenstein, Paul; Boman, Marcus; Johansson, Anna L. V.; Långström, Niklas; Landén, Mikael (2011-02-22). "Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden". PLoS ONE. 6 (2): e16885. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0016885. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3043071. PMID 21364939.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  19. ^ Asscheman, Henk; Giltay, Erik J; Megens, Jos A J; de Ronde, W (Pim); van Trotsenburg, Michael A A; Gooren, Louis J G (2011-04-01). "A long-term follow-up study of mortality in transsexuals receiving treatment with cross-sex hormones". European Journal of Endocrinology. 164 (4): 635–642. doi:10.1530/EJE-10-1038. ISSN 0804-4643.
  20. ^ Wanta, Jonathon W.; Niforatos, Joshua D.; Durbak, Emily; Viguera, Adele; Altinay, Murat (2019-11-01). "Mental Health Diagnoses Among Transgender Patients in the Clinical Setting: An All-Payer Electronic Health Record Study". Transgender Health. 4 (1): 313–315. doi:10.1089/trgh.2019.0029. ISSN 2380-193X. PMC 6830528. PMID 31701012.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
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