Largely forgotten simply by China’s health system, youthful transgender women and men are embracing dangerous alternatives like a dark market drugs and also life-threatening self surgery, in accordance with a new report.

The study by individual rights group Amnesty International, released Fri, reveals how China’s transgender individuals face both widespread discrimination and challenging obstacles to important gender-affirming treatments.

Largely forgotten simply by China’s health system, youthful transgender women and men are embracing dangerous alternatives like a dark market drugs and also life-threatening self surgery, in accordance with a new report.

The study by individual rights group Amnesty International, released Fri, reveals how China’s transgender individuals face both widespread discrimination and challenging obstacles to important gender-affirming treatments.

n China there’s barely any reference to transgender issues in regulation, nor any official statistics. With little reliable Chinese-language information, young trans-folk can end up seeking help from unofficial sources, potentially exposing them to bad or unsafe advice.

Even those who go through proper channels find doctors who don’t know how to treat them, or who believe they’re mentally ill, the report says.

Under China’s Sex Reassignment Procedural Management Requirements 2017, “transsexual” people face a strict criteria before undergoing gender-affirming surgery.

According to the law, they must be older than 20, unmarried and have undergone psychological therapy for a year prior. They also have to demonstrate they’ve been wanting the surgery for five years “with no history of hesitation.” Finally, they must have familial consent, regardless of their age.

Difficulty in obtaining hormone therapy has driven some people online or to the black market, where they risk getting counterfeit and unsuitable medications with little information on dosage or side effects.

Out of the 15 transgender people interviewed for the statement, two said they attempted to perform gender-affirming surgery on themselves as a last resort.

Huiming, the transgender lady who performed surgery on herself, survived her attempts to get rid of her male sexual features.