This Is How Britain Decided to Endanger Fetal Lives and Inject Pregnant Trans Mothers with Testosterone

In a study that has sparked debate, researchers assert that pregnant transgender men should not be compelled to cease testosterone therapy, despite potential risks to the unborn child.

This stance is backed by a government-sponsored investigation. Presently, medical protocols advise transgender men — individuals born female who identify as male — to discontinue hormone treatments during pregnancy.

The National Health Service (NHS) cautions that continuing testosterone could disrupt fetal development, citing research that associates prenatal exposure to the hormone with genital irregularities.

Fetal Risks

In the United States, testosterone is classified as a ‘category X’ drug during pregnancy due to its fetal risks.

However, a group of specialists, including three from the UK, argue that existing recommendations overly emphasize the prevention of congenital defects in infants.

They contend that the objections to testosterone use during pregnancy are excessively concentrated on ensuring the birth of ‘normal’ infants.

The team, which received a £500,000 grant from a branch of the UK’s Research and Innovation for a study on the experiences of transgender men, proposes that NHS policies be revised to affirm transgender men’s gender identities more effectively.

The British members of the panel are sociologists affiliated with the universities of Sheffield, Westminster, and Glasgow.

The study’s conclusions have been met with criticism from American bioethicists Jennifer Lahl and Kallie Fell, who have described the recommendations as ‘insane.’

In an article for Reality’s Last Stand, they argue that adhering to the study’s advice would create a void in medical ethics and mark a significant departure from valuing scientific research and medical evidence, in favor of healthcare driven by activism.

Future Anomalies

Testosterone, known for its teratogenic properties, is associated with congenital anomalies.

Researchers indicate that female fetuses are especially susceptible to its effects, which have been connected to genital development issues, a phenomenon termed masculinization.

Such complications could lead to incontinence, infertility, and later psychological impacts.

A team of experts from the U.S., Australia, and Italy, writing in SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, posited that these risks should be secondary to the potential harm to trans men from discontinuing hormone therapy.

They observed that both patients and healthcare providers often opt for conservative, progeny-centric treatments, which they argue reinforce binary gender concepts and exert social control by protecting against atypical future outcomes for children.

These strategies, they suggest, are part of the gendered, cautious work surrounding pregnancy and its care, with possible adverse effects on transgender individuals.

The group’s conclusions draw from a survey of 70 transgender individuals and feedback from 22 healthcare professionals serving this community.

Many trans men expressed apprehension about halting testosterone during pregnancy, fearing loss of facial hair, voice changes, and being perceived as female.

Concerns also included misgendering, potentially leading to heightened body dysphoria and depression.

Some participants voiced their resistance to stopping testosterone while pregnant, with a desire to experience pregnancy as a man. Healthcare providers’ guidance varied, but most leaned towards a cautious stance, highlighting the potential dangers of testosterone to the unborn child.

The authors critiqued this conservative advice, suggesting it might not fully acknowledge the extent to which some trans individuals’ identities and well-being are intertwined with ongoing testosterone treatment.

Therapy Necessity

A spokesperson for UK Research and Innovation confirmed in media statements the project’s funding by the Economic and Social Research Council, emphasizing the council’s commitment to a varied research portfolio, supported through a stringent peer review process by independent experts from academia and industry.

Trans men, defined as biological females who identify as male, retain the capacity for pregnancy if they have not undergone surgical removal of reproductive organs.

Numerous individuals administer synthetic testosterone, which can diminish mammary glands, cease menstruation, and instigate the growth of facial hair, aiding in their transition to their affirmed gender.

This intervention is a response to gender dysphoria, the psychological distress of misaligned gender identity and physical body.

The healthcare sector remains unsure about the complete risks testosterone carries for an unborn child, including how dosage and other hormonal levels might interact.

This uncertainty stems from the infrequency of transgender men bearing children and the lack of data on the long-term effects on offspring exposed to testosterone in utero.

The National Health Service cautions against using testosterone during pregnancy due to potential developmental risks to the fetus.

Nonetheless, it advises transgender men to consult their physician before discontinuing, as pregnancy may exacerbate gender dysphoria.

In its contentious ‘chest-feeding advice’ segment, the NHS warns that testosterone may contaminate breast milk, though it stops short of dissuading its use.

The impact on the infant remains ambiguous, according to the guidance.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration categorizes testosterone as ‘Category X’ during pregnancy, indicating known risks to the fetus that surpass any conceivable benefits.

Testosterone usage can also hinder fertility in transgender men, prompting some to halt their hormone therapy while attempting conception.

Caleb Bolden of Chatteris exemplifies this, choosing to conceive via a sperm donor after his partner was unable to bear children.

At 27, Bolden began his transition and concurrently endeavored to conceive with his partner, Niamh Bolden, 25, through a sperm donor.

The journey was marred by Ms. Bolden’s three miscarriages and the loss of twins at 23 and 27 weeks, leading to a prognosis of infertility.

Faced with the prospect of costly private fertility treatments, Mr. Bolden paused his testosterone regimen to pursue parenthood.

Success followed six months later with a pregnancy via a donor located on social media, culminating in the birth of Isla-Rae Bolden in May.

Trans women, who are biologically male but identify as female, currently cannot conceive.

The discourse on hormone use by trans women during breastfeeding gained attention when Mika Minio-Paluello, an ex-Labour advisor, publicized a photo of herself nursing her infant on public transport.