Summary
Australian researchers used national prescription, healthcare and death records to find about 29,000 people they classed as trans because they had filled a cross-sex hormone prescription: testosterone for people recorded as female, oestrogen for people recorded as male. They compared deaths with about 20 million people who saw a family doctor, adjusting only for age and start date. Over roughly three to four years, people on cross-sex hormones died at four to nine times the comparison rate. They had much higher rates of suicide, other violent or accidental deaths, cancer and heart disease. The authors blame stigma and gaps in care and say hormones are not the cause. But the study measured neither. A single prescription is a loose way to decide who is trans, and may include people treated for other illnesses. The results show more deaths in this group but cannot explain why.
Key findings
- Tyrime dalyvavo 9 713 moterimis įrašytų asmenų (vidutinis amžius 25 metai, stebėti apie 3 metus) ir 19 347 vyrais įrašyti (vidutinis amžius 36 metai, stebėti beveik 4 metus), rasti pagal kryžminės lyties hormonų receptus 2012–2023 m.
- Jie buvo palyginti su maždaug 20 mln. žmonių, lankiusių šeimos gydytoją, suderintų tik pagal amžių ir mėnesį bei metus, kai įstojo į tyrimą.
- Mirčių dėl bet kokios priežasties buvo maždaug 9 kartus daugiau moterimis įrašytų grupėje ir maždaug 4 kartus daugiau vyrais įrašytų grupėje; tyrimo metu mirė 0,6 % ir 5,5 %.
- Savižudybių buvo maždaug 12 kartų daugiau moterimis įrašytų grupėje ir 4 kartus daugiau vyrais įrašytų grupėje; kitų smurtinių ar nelaimingų atsitikimų mirčių buvo maždaug 9 ir 3 kartus daugiau.
- Mirčių nuo vėžio buvo maždaug 8 ir 5 kartus daugiau, o nuo širdies ir kraujagyslių ligų – maždaug 16 ir 3 kartus daugiau, didžiausi skirtumai – vyresniame amžiuje.
- Vyrais įrašytų grupėje papildoma savižudybės rizika mažėjo, kuo ilgiau žmonės vartojo hormonus; moterimis įrašytų grupėje bendra papildoma mirties rizika laikui bėgant didėjo.
- Autoriai kaltina nuo mažumos statuso kylantį stresą ir kliūtis gauti sveikatos priežiūrą ir sako, kad dėl mirčių neturėtų būti kaltinami hormonai, tačiau tyrime nei vieno, nei kito nebuvo matuota.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Transgender and gender diverse ('trans') people may be at increased risk of mortality, particularly from external causes, however, large-scale, population-based evidence remains scarce. This study aims to document all-cause and cause-specific mortality among trans people. METHODS: We source administrative data on healthcare and death records (2012-2023) from all Australians aged 15 years and above. Individuals identified as trans (initiated gender-affirming hormone therapy) were matched to the general population who visited a General Practitioner during the same period. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk for trans people, with models estimated separately for people who were assigned female sex at birth (AFAB) and people who were assigned male sex at birth (AMAB). Inverse probability weights were applied to balance comparators on month-year and age at entry. Results were additionally stratified by age (15-24, 25-39, 40-59, and ≥60 years). FINDINGS: A total of 19,347 trans people AMAB (mean age 36.2 years; median follow-up 3.7 years) and 9713 trans people AFAB (mean age 25.4 years; median follow-up 2.8 years) were matched with 9,879,037 general population males (mean age 44.4; median follow-up 11.3 years) and 10,282,651 general population females (mean age 44.9; median follow-up 11.4 years), respectively. All-cause mortality was significantly higher for trans people AMAB [HR = 3.89 (95% CI 33.65; 4.14)] and trans people AFAB [HR = 9.03 (95% CI 6.90; 11.83)]. For trans people AFAB, cause-specific mortality was elevated for cardiovascular disease [HR = 16.39 (95% CI 8.56; 31.37)], suicide [HR = 11.73 (95% CI 6.94; 19.80)], external causes [HR = 8.95 (95% CI 5.69; 14.09)], and cancer [HR = 7.62 (95% CI 4.61; 12.61)]. For trans people AMAB, cause-specific mortality was elevated for cancer [HR = 5.12 (95% CI 4.67; 5.61)], suicide [HR = 4.02 (95% CI 3.12; 5.18)], external causes [HR = 2.78 (95% CI 2.31; 3.35)], and cardiovascular disease [HR = 2.60 (95% CI 2.22; 3.05)]. Older trans people had more pronounced excess risk from cancer and cardiovascular disease. For trans people AFAB, excess mortality from suicide and external causes increased with age, whereas for trans people AMAB relative risks were higher in young and middle adulthood. INTERPRETATION: In this nationwide cohort study, trans Australians experienced substantially elevated mortality risk. Tailored policy responses are needed to address premature mortality in trans populations. FUNDING: University of Melbourne McKenzie Fellowship (2025MCK182); the National Health and Medical Research Council (2008956); Viertel Charitable Foundation; University of Melbourne Faculty Research Grant (2025FRG19).
Conclusion
In this nationwide cohort study, trans Australians experienced substantially elevated mortality risk. Tailored policy responses are needed to address premature mortality in trans populations, including cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention (risk-factor management, screening uptake and continuity of care), alongside strategies to prevent deaths from external causes, including suicide. The authors state that the elevated mortality should not be interpreted as attributable to gender-affirming hormone therapy itself, and that policy responses should address the social factors, such as stigma and discrimination, that they argue perpetuate these inequities.