A UK university hospital system has claimed that milk produced by trans-women “is as good for babies” as biological women’s breast milk.
The Telegraph reports a University of Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust’s (USHT) “letter to campaigners” noted that “after a combination of drugs,” trans-women’s milk is “comparable to that produced following the birth of a baby.”
Trans-women — biological men — must take the hormone progestin in order to develop milk-producing glands. Drugs such as domperidone (which can be prescribed for biological women who have difficulty breastfeeding) are then needed for lactation.
But even domperidone’s manufacturer warns the drug “was not intended for this” as it can cause heart issues in newborns. The drug’s patient leaflet warns domperidone “should be used during breastfeeding only if your physician considers this clearly necessary.”
Nevertheless, the USHT believes domperidone is safe for trans-women, but does note hospital staff should advise those using it on the possible implications.
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Oddly, the USHT’s guidance for the drug no longer exists on its own website; in its place is a link to “La Leche League” which claims it “supports everyone who wants to breastfeed or chestfeed in reaching their goals.”
The hospital trust, which runs Royal Sussex County Hospital, Worthing Hospital and Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital among others, was also the first in Britain to use the term “chestfeeding” in place of breastfeeding because it is considered by some to be more inclusive. …
Lottie Moore, of the Policy Exchange, which uncovered the letter, said the trust “is unbalanced and naïve in its assertion that the secretions produced by a male on hormones can nourish an infant in the way a mother’s breast milk can”.
Maya Forstater, the director of campaign group Sex Matters, said: “For a chief executive and medical director of an NHS trust to prioritise trans identities over what is best for mothers and their babies is deeply disturbing.”
The USHT said it “stand[s] by the facts of the letter” and its supporting evidence.
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