Girl Suffering Gender Dysphoria Attempts to Remove Breasts After Watching YouTube

Photo illustration dated January 2020 of a teenage girl showing signs of mental health issues. PA

A New Zealand teenage girl suffering from gender dysphoria has attempted to conduct a self-mastectomy after watching a tutorial video on YouTube.

The incident was reported in an article published on May 17 in the New Zealand Medical Journal, used as a case study in a bid to push for better access to publicly funded gender transition surgery.

According to the report, an 18-year-old girl with gender dysphoria tried to cut off her breast at home after watching a “how to” video on YouTube, preparing the equipment, and marking the incisions.

She also reportedly considered analgesia (pain relief medicine) and haemostasis, a process to stop bleeding.

At the time, the teenager was already on testosterone and was on a gender transition surgery waiting list.

The attempt left her with bodily injuries and a risk of nerve damage. A graphic photo in the report (pdf) showed the girl’s breasts with severe, deep lacerations.

When she rushed to seek medical attention several hours later, health professionals conducted complete breast removal surgery.

The report noted that the surgery came following discussions about the risks, including irreversible damage, poor cosmetic outcome/asymmetry, and loss of both nipples.

It also, however, described the incident as “an act of desperation” due to “long wait times of referral in the public healthcare system, an inability to afford a private consultation, and the significant psychological stress of having breasts at an upcoming pool party.”

It claimed that the operation was “uncomplicated” and the girl was discharged after one day.

“At clinic four weeks post-operatively, his bilateral mastectomy scars had healed well and he reported improvement in self-esteem and self-confidence and his ability to complete school work, and was looking forward to enrolling at university,” the article said.

Self-Attempted Mastectomy Or Self Mutilation?

The report described the incident as a “self-attempted gender-affirming mastectomy” that showed the need for the government to make gender surgery services more easily available.

“In Aotearoa New Zealand, limited access to gender-affirming surgery due to resources is an increasing issue. Currently, there is only one surgeon performing gender-affirmation operations,” it stated.

New Zealand’s local media has also adopted a similar tone when reporting on the issue.

But Rachael Wong, CEO of Women’s Forum Australia, a women’s rights think tank, argued such an angle distorted the truth.

She said the case should be looked at as a “teen girl told lies she’s a boy, self mutilates.”

“This story is being used to promote greater access to ‘gender-affirming care’ in NZ,” Mr. Wong said in a post on LinkedIn.

“It should be triggering urgent action against a dangerous ideology that’s disproportionately harming teen girls.”

The article’s authors were three health professionals from the Wellington Regional Hospital, including general surgeon Scott Diamond, general surgery trainee Sue Hui Ong, and non-trainee surgical registrar Mairarangi Haimona.

Risks Of Mental Illnesses

Previously, people who self-amputated their breasts have been those with active psychiatric disorders and experienced “acute triggers that likely initiated self-mutilation,” the article noted.

However, the 18-year-old girl was among a few cases of people who self-mutilated and “did not have a psychiatric disorder.”

This is despite research showing that children with gender dysphoria often experience a range of underlying mental health issues, including self-harm, suicidality, mood and anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, eating disorders, and autism spectrum conditions.

Self-harm, for example, is common among young people, and girls have consistently higher rates of self-harm than boys, according to a 2024 article published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Meanwhile, a study published in the Australian Journal of Psychology in 2020 noted that it is “vitally important to consider psychiatric comorbidities when prioritising and sequencing treatments for children with gender dysphoria.”

In 2019, the New Zealand government injected $3 million over four years into the Gender Affirming (Genital) Surgery Service for the delivery of up to 14 gender-transition surgeries per year.

Notably, referrals to the service have skyrocketed for the past six years, with the number of referrals increasing by over four times from late 2018 to early 2019.

Number of referrals to Health New Zealand for gender transition surgery from 2013 to 2024. Screenshot/Health New Zealand

Meanwhile, according to data from Pharmac, a New Zealand government health institution, the number of children and adolescents on puberty blockers has nearly doubled within a decade.

There were 11,621 young people on puberty blockers in 2022 (3,143 females, 8,406 males, and 72 people of “unknown” gender) compared to 6,181 people in 2012 (1,013 females, 5,158 males, and 10 people of “unknown” gender).

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available:

New Zealand

• Lifeline 0800 543 354
• Youthline 0800 376 633
• Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 828 865 

Australia

• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Kids Help Line: 1800 551 800
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636