Finding self: A qualitative study of transgender, transitioning, and adulterated silicone

Abstract

Objective: To describe the development and testing of a theory-based interview guide. To increase awareness of adulterated silicone use among Transgender. Design: A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews. Setting: Interviews were conducted in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Method: Seven transgender adults aged 18 and over were interviewed using grounded theory method and an interview guide created for this study. Results: Participants perceived that adulterated injection liquid silicone is used widely among transgender as a cheaper means to augment physical appearance. The prevalence of illicit silicone is widespread among vulnerable, minority populations and is associated with health complications. Conclusions: Several health-promotion issues were discovered. These included the need for safer transition options, the need for more cost effective transition options, the need to collect surveillance data, and the need for health promotion and action research.

Transgender stigma and health: A critical review of stigma determinants, mechanisms, and interventions

“…Faced with societal pressures to conform to feminine ideals of beauty and unable to pay for surgery, some transgender women, often women of color, resort to “pumping” or using liquid silicone to enlarge their hips, breasts, butt and/or lips (Garofalo et al, 2006; Herbst et al, 2008; Sevelius, 2013; Wallace, 2010; Williamson, 2010). Pumping can pose adverse consequences as loose silicone can shift, causing permanent disfigurement, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, renal failure, and even death (CDC, 2008; Gaber, 2004; Williamson, 2010).…”

Silicone líquido industrial para transformar o corpo: prevalência e fatores associados ao seu uso entre travestis e mulheres transexuais em São Paulo, Brasil

“…Por outro lado, algumas das pessoas que utilizam o SLI ou fazem outros procedimentos podem ter de elevar a carga de trabalho no mercado sexual para viabilizar o seu pagamento, aumentando riscos como a infecção pelo HIV, à medida em que têm piores condições para negociar com os clientes, tornando-as mais vulneráveis às práticas desprotegidas 32 .…”

The Use and Correlates of Illicit Silicone or “Fillers” in a Population‐Based Sample of Transwomen, San Francisco, 2013

“…The cost of using such fillers is on an order of magnitude cheaper than plastic surgery. For instance, the average cost of a buttocks implant in the United States in 2012 was $4,670, whereas the reported rates for “silicone” injections for transwomen range from $300–1,600 [1,7–9]. A qualitative analysis found factors such as poor self‐image, misperceptions about silicone, discomfort in public settings, and low health insurance access to also be related to use of illicit fillers [9].…”

“…More importantly, the volume of silicone preparations and other substances are contrary to recommendations for any legal filler injection by licensed practitioners using pure and safe substances [5]. Hence, the injection of fillers is completely outside the realm of safe and legal procedures to changes one's appearance [9].…”