A woman who removed her breasts at age 20 when she identified as transgender has shared her grief over not being able to breastfeed her baby.
Elizabeth – not her real name – underwent a chest masculinisation mastectomy (commonly known as top surgery) after being formally diagnosed with gender dysphoria as a teenager.
But four years after getting the controversial procedure done, Elizabeth decided to detransition before falling pregnant at 30.
Researcher Professor Karleen Gribble told Daily Mail Australia Elizabeth’s story ‘may be the tip of the iceberg’ and should serve as an early warning signal to others.
‘There needs to be greater respect for breastfeeding and its significance for women and children.
‘Once you have a mastectomy there is no such thing as a reversal. This is irreversible surgery it shouldn’t be undertaken lightly.’
Elizabeth attributed her gender dysphoria to developing breasts at the age of 10, which led to her being sexually harassed by men.
The surgery on Elizabeth was a disaster, leaving her with extensive scarring.
Simply wearing clothes was painful.
Elizabeth’s right nipple graft chronically leaked fluid and voids in her scarred left nipple graft caused even greater problems.
Her transgender friends didn’t like her talking negatively about her experience and refused to support her.
Testosterone-induced vaginal atrophy and a rejection by her transgender friends led to a psychological crisis and de-transitioning at 24-years-old.
When her son was born by caesarean, he was placed on her chest.
‘He tried to suck on my chin and spent so much time in his early life trying to find my breasts.’
The Gender Clinic within Victoria’s Royal Children’s Hospital treats children up to their 16th birthday before referring them to adult services at the Monash Gender Clinic, which does perform top surgery.
The Royal Children’s Hospital would not say how many children it treated each year.
Why would they not say how many children they treated each year and has anyone tried to get this info via FOI? Are they ashamed? Are they trying to hide anything? And why?
The terms ‘top surgery’ and ‘bottom surgery’ are used to mystify and make light of the reality that is brutal surgery that disfigures, sterilises and destroys healthy tissue.
We are allowing our young people to be disfigured and their options in life dramatically lessened.
I have no idea why we are not screaming for a royal commission into this horror.