An indigenous transgender woman has slammed Canada’s healthcare system for rejecting her euthanasia request despite the pain she endures from a surgically-built vagina.
In social media posts, Lois Cardinal, a self-proclaimed ‘sterilized First Nations post-op transsexual’ said regret over her medical transition led her to apply for a lethal injection in January.
‘I’m in constant discomfort and pain,’ the 35-year-old (said)
Cardinal underwent a vaginoplasty in 2009, but developed complications and quickly regretted the procedure. She (said) that she feels constant pressure, pain and discomfort now, many years after the original surgery.
The difficult procedure involves inverting the penis into a neo-vagina. Most recipients suffer pain and discomfort afterward, according to a recent study
Neo-vaginas must also be dilated regularly to stop them from collapsing.
Cardinal’s doctor, who is not identified, cites her underlying problem as ‘pain/anxiety related to neo-vagina for gender affirmation.’ In the papers, the doctor said she consulted another clinician and referred Cardinal to a specialist, but ultimately rejected her MAiD request.
‘Based on current clinical information and consultations [the patient] does not meet current MAiD criteria,’ the doctor wrote.
Unless her referrals to specialists help to ease her pain, she will re-apply for assisted suicide in the coming months, she added.
AC