- Of 68 trans men, 95% developed pelvic floor dysfunction after taking hormones.
Transgender men suffer from “postmenopausal bladder and bowel symptoms due to testosterone intake,” according to a study.
The researchers found that of the 68 transgender men who participated in the study, 95 percent developed pelvic floor dysfunction after taking the hormone to transition from female to male, the Telegraph reports.
The study identified bladder and bowel problems, such as incontinence, in participants as young as 18 and with an average age of 28. Doctors would normally expect such symptoms in a “postmenopausal” woman.
Urinary incontinence, having to go to the bathroom frequently and wetting the bed affected 87 percent of participants, while intestinal problems such as constipation affected 74 percent.
About one in four transgender men suffered from incontinence, a rate three times higher than that of women.
Researchers found that of the 68 transgender men who participated in the study, 95 percent developed pelvic floor dysfunction after taking the hormone to transition from female to male (file image).
Other bladder and bowel problems experienced by trans men in the study included having to urinate frequently during the night, difficulty defecating, and burning when urinating.
Sexual dysfunction affected 53 percent of the participants and almost half of them also experienced pain during sexual intercourse.
The effect of sex-changing drugs on bodily functions was “under-researched and under-reported” as experts warned that sex-changing drugs could put young people on “exactly the same trajectory” as those in the menopause, according to the Telegraph.
Pelvic health physical therapist Elaine Miller told the newspaper that women often “start leaking” in menopause and that women taking testosterone could encounter the same problems.
She urged more research to be done as it affects many people, who she said were affected in their professional and personal lives by urinating.
“The impact that a small leak has on the lives of these young people is enormous,” he told the Telegraph.
“It really needs to be discussed properly in gender clinics because I would expect almost 100 percent of women taking cross-sex hormones to end up with these problems.”
Menopause causes those who go through it to lose muscle mass and body strength, which in turn can weaken the pelvic floor and cause incontinence.
Testosterone can potentially accelerate menopause by preventing the ovaries from functioning. The ovaries produce estrogen, which can help prevent diseases such as dementia, osteoporosis, and coronary heart disease.
While testosterone has been linked to hair loss and muscle mass, its impact on the pelvic floor and incontinence has not been widely researched.
The researchers behind the study, from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, said the results showed that participants frequently had at least one of the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction.