[Intro music]
Chase: Hello! And welcome to another episode of the TRANS 101 Series
Today! I am talking to you about hysterectomies
So hysterectomy is not actually the correct term of what I'm gonna be talking about
The correct term of what I'm gonna be talking about is called a total hysterectomy with an oophorectomy
Alright, so- I'm gonna break that down for ya 'cause you're like, "What does that even mean?"
A hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus.
A total hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus AND the cervix
A total hysterectomy with an oophorectomy is a removal of the cervix, the uterus, AND the ovaries
as well as the Fallopian tubes
So to make it easier on everyone- instead of me saying,
"Oh! A total hysterectomy with an oophorectomy"
I'm just gonna say hysterectomy
But, please know that I'm talking about the one that removes everything.
All of those organs down there. Completely gone!
There is a big myth
A BIG myth.. in this community that you ABSOLUTELY need a hysterectomy
If you are trans and if you are on Testosterone.
Now! This isn't true.
And the myth originally was that you need to get it within 2-5 years of being on testosterone
or you're gonna develop cancer
[loud deep inhale]
The doctors had no idea what was gonna happen
They just assumed,
"Oh, yeah, ya know, some people will develop cancer because we don't really know what happens
So, just in case! We're gonna tell people to get a hysterectomy"
Chase: Now this isn't true
There are no trans indications that you need a hysterectomy
That doesn't exist, alright, it's not a thing
But! I will say two TWO aspects that are super important, okay
It is recommended to get a hysterectomy
IF
you are not going to be getting Pap tests and Pelvic exams
Alright, now the reason for that is that
you're not able to check for pre-cancerous cells or any type of cyst or any type of
bump
or anything like that in the ovaries when you're doing a pelvic exam
I can understand how some people would absolutely
NEVER want to get a pap test
or a pelvic exam because they are very invasive
And they're touching an area that a lot of trans men are not comfortable with
So! If you're not gonna do that
it IS recommended to get a hysterectomy.
So the other aspect that would require you to get a hysterectomy is if you get a pap test and a pelvic exam
and your results show up abnormal or you have precancerous cells
Usually! Alright, in cis women, what they would do is they would remove the aspect that is precancerous
But! For trans men- alot of trans men that hear the word "this is precancerous" they'll just say,
"Remove everything! I don't wanna take the chance"
And! "I don't want to ever go through something invasive like a pap test or a pelvic exam ever again"
So those are the 2 aspects where I would say it is RECOMMENDED for you to get a hysterectomy
But! There is no medical trans- like, "You are on testosterone that means you're gonna get cancer"
That doesn't exist
Alright
There have been documented cases of trans men who get ovarian cancer
It does happen. But! That also happens to cis women
There's literally NO research and NO medical proof that there is a link between testosterone and getting ovarian cancer
And there's also no link with cis women getting ovarian cancer and
Ummmm
That being linked to- I don't know! Something else!
So-So it's basically ihehheh it's not linked.
And honestly! To be able to do this type of research would be-
Lets-lets-lets research like a million people who were Assigned Female At Birth
and then the ones who are trans and go on testosterone lets follow them as well as the same time as cis women
and just see who develops ovarian cancer
And if the trans men develop ovarian cancer more than the cis women
Why is that? Is there different life choices? The way they were raised?
All of these different little things that would have to be researched
It would be very hard to research
And, yes! You don't have to do that big of a research
I'm guessing you can also take people who are all the same age
Like, all of these people who were assigned Female At Birth who are 15
And then also make sure that there are a group in there that are also trans
and then that go on testosterone at the same time and have no other medical issues
And kind of all live in the same area
Because [inhale] cancer is
Is caused by so many other things in the world, right?
So, we need to take that into consideration as well
So I- I know I seem very angry and like eh uh uh about this, but
It is a very big myth and I am very tired of hearing that, "you need to get a hysterectomy if you're trans".
No!
You need to get a hysterectomy if you're trans IF you're not gonna get tested
That is super important!
So there are other reasons why people would get hysterectomies
Alright, it's not just what I'm talking about with cancer.
some people have Fibroids
Although, fibroids can also just be removed, but some people would rather just have a hysterectomy
Umm there are also cramps that are associated with it.
Dysphoria is one of them. Some people just the idea of having those organs inside them
And them really associating that with being female and woman
Umm for them that's just too much dysphoria and they would rather just get them removed
So that's one of the big reasons why a lot of trans men DO get a hysterectomy
Another big reason is there are a lot of big places- states and countries- in the world that require you to get a hysterectomy in order to change your gender marker
Like I said, some people have precancerous things, some people have endometriosis,
some people have PCOS, some people have abnormal bleeding and all this stuff
But!
Here's the thing. All of these conditions that I am talking about. All of them- except dysphoria I guess-
Ummm, are all
things that could also happen to cis women
So I'm just here. This video is really just about the myth of
You have to get a hysterectomy!
I'm here to tell you.. You do not have to get a hysterectomy BUT
(jESUS)
Before you chop that video down and make it seem like I'm telling everyone not to get a hysterectomy and you're like f- blackmailing me and all these things
You NEED to go get a pap test and you need to go get a pelvic exam as well.
Is what I'm saying
Anyways, that's it for this video
This video was really more about the myths, but umm hysterectomies are something that a lot of trans men DO want
And that's something we shouldn't shame people for
And just becasue I'm talking like, "You don't need to get it!"
Absolutely not!
I'm not saying that that means don't get it
I'm saying if you feel like you want a hysterectomy and you need one you should absolutely get one
But, don't in your mind think it's because I'm going to get ovarian cancer
Ya know what I'm saying?
Or if you are absolutely like never gonna go get a pelvic exam
Never gonna go get a pap test
Then absolutely! Go get a hysterectomy
Please! Don't associate testosterone = cancer = hysterectomy because ya know what?
This can also happen to cis women
So even if you take the testosterone part
You're like, "Oh, cancer=hysterectomy" sure, but what's the other part here?
This is like a.. the world.. things that cause cancer
It's there. Testosterone is not here, it's not something that causes cancer
Anyways!
I will put some links in the description of information that I've gotten in the past that have helped me learn more about this
And let me know what you think
Aaannd I'll see you guys later! Have a great day. Thanks so much for joining me, bye! :)
[Outro Music]