BALTIMORE (AP) - A study from Johns Hopkins Medicine has determined that the number of transgender people undergoing sex reassignment surgery has increased, as more insurers cover the procedures.
The Baltimore Sun reports the researchers behind the study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA surgery believe this is one of the first detailed looks into the number of people obtaining the surgeries.
Researchers determined the number of sex reassignment procedures increased nearly four-fold from 2000 to 2014. The study also found no one had died from the procedures, despite critics' assertion that the surgeries were unsafe.
The director of quality and research for the Johns Hopkins Center for Transgender Health, Brandyn D. Lau, says the lack of data collected on these procedures makes it challenging to analyze the quality of care for patients.
