eBay is selling sex change pills 'used by Thai ladyboys'
60p ‘sex change’ pills are being sold on eBay: Tablets promise to ‘grow boobs’ or ‘increase muscle mass’ as experts warn sellers are preying on desperation
- MailOnline found thriving black market of sex change pills on eBay marketplace
- Marketed using voluptuous women or muscly men with dubious health claims
- Doctors warned at best they are snake oil — at worst they could be dangerous
Sex change pills that claim to make users ‘grow boobs’ are being sold on eBay, MailOnline can reveal.
The online marketplace is housing dozens of listings for ‘feminiser’ and ‘masculine- transitioning’ tablets, which can be bought for as little as 60p a pill.
They are marketed using voluptuous women or musclebound men with sellers of the most popular products located in London, Bristol and Newcastle.
Most of the items seen by MailOnline made dubious health claims, which doctors warned were designed to prey on desperate patients with gender dysphoria.
One aimed at trans women said just one daily pill could help them ‘grow boobs’, develop a ‘pert and feminine bottom’ and make their voice ‘higher and ladylike’.
Another marketed at trans men claimed to be able to ‘grow facial hair’, ‘increase strength and muscle mass’ and ‘shrink breasts’.
Some of the products have been purchased hundreds of times, despite no proof any of the listed ingredients will cause the desired effect.
Doctors told MailOnline that at best they are snake oil supplements that do nothing but at worst they may contain body-warping hormones.
A listing for ‘Breast Growth Feminizer Pills’ on eBay shows 30 tablets being sold for £19.99
Mr Masculine Transitioning Pills, whose seller is based in Enfield, London, claim to be able to ‘grow facial hair’, ‘increase strength and muscle mass’ and ‘shrink breasts’
‘Transform Hormone Feminizer Pills’, which had been purchased 380 times, were also available on the marketplace
An eBay spokesman admitted the listings breached its terms of services and removed several of the items pointed out by MailOnline.
But dozens of similar products were still available on the online marketplace at the time of writing.
Among those still live was Mr Masculine Transitioning Pills, whose seller is based in Enfield, London.
The tub of 30 pills was listed for £19.99, working out at around 60p per pill.
‘Transform Hormone Feminizer Pills’, which had been purchased 380 times, were also available on the marketplace.
The seller, based in Newcastle, charged £23.99 for a tub of 30 daily pills, with a ‘make an offer’ option which means they could sell for cheaper.
The cheapest item on the marketplace was a listing for Feminizer Gender Change Pills, which could be bulk-bought for £17.66.
In the description, the listing brags that the pills are ‘used by Thai ladyboys’ and are the ‘finest you can buy’.
Despite claims on many of the listings that the pills boost oestrogen or testosterone, the hormones altered during authentic gender transitioning therapy, most of the ingredients in the supplements were bulking agents or natural herbs shown to have virtually no effect on hormone levels.
The cheapest item on the marketplace was a listing for Feminizer Gender Change Pills, which could be bulk-bought for £17.66
The listing brags that the pills are ‘used by Thai ladyboys’ and are the ‘finest you can buy’
Dr Zakariya Waqar-Uddin, an NHS GP based in Manchester, told MailOnline: ‘These sellers are preying on desperation.
‘They’ve got patients up against the wall, who are in a situation where they feel they are in the wrong gender, they are very distressed.
‘People who are on long waiting lists or are too embarrassed to come forward to see a doctor might be tempted by this black market.’
WHAT IS GENDER DYSPHORIA?
Gender dysphoria is a term that describes a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity.
This sense of unease or dissatisfaction may be so intense it can lead to depression and anxiety and have a harmful impact on daily life.
The exact cause is unclear.
Gender development is complex and there are still things that are not known or fully understood.
Gender dysphoria is not related to sexual orientation. People with gender dysphoria may identify as straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual.
Signs of gender dysphoria
People with gender dysphoria may have changed their appearance, their behaviour or their interests.
They may also show signs of discomfort or distress, including:
- low self-esteem
- becoming withdrawn or socially isolated
- depression or anxiety
- taking unnecessary risks
- neglecting themselves
Treatment
After being referred to a specialist clinic by a GP, patients with gender dysphoria are given therapy and counselling.
Adult patients can then be offered hormone therapies – usually testosterone for those wanting to be masculine or oestrogen for those hoping to be more feminine.
In general, people wanting masculinisation usually take testosterone and people after feminisation usually take oestrogen.
Over-18s may then be referred for surgery.
The drugs are probably full of nothing really, according to Dr Waqar-Uddin. ‘But in more extreme circumstances there could be things in there that could harm you.
‘If some [products] actually have testosterone, you could suffer increased aggression, acne or raised blood pressure.
‘On the other hand, if you take feminising drugs and they actually contain oestrogen, you could get potential mood changes and be put in an even more vulnerable position mentally.
‘And there are certainly cancers that are specific to oestrogen and testosterone — which could potentially flare if you take those drugs.
‘As a doctor I am worried for the patients and it makes me angry.’
He encouraged people with gender dysphoria to see their doctor, who can then refer them to a specialist clinic.
An eBay spokesperson said: ‘These items are banned from eBay’s platform and have been removed.
‘We use block filter algorithms that are aimed at preventing such products from being listed, and work closely with regulators such as the Office for Product Safety and Standards and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, who can directly report and remove listings of concern through our Regulatory Portal.’
After several rounds of counselling or psychological support, patients may be prescribed cross-sex hormone therapy.
In general, people wanting masculinisation usually take testosterone and people after feminisation usually take oestrogen.
Testosterone will promote the growth of facial hair and muscle tissue while deepening the voice, among other things.
Oestrogen stimulates the formation of breast tissue, shrinks the testes and stops erections.
Both usually have the additional effect of suppressing the release of ‘unwanted’ hormones from the testes or ovaries.
Some young people with lasting signs of gender dysphoria who meet strict criteria may be prescribed hormone blockers as they reach puberty.
Puberty blockers (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogues) pause the physical changes of puberty, such as breast development or facial hair.
Little is known about the long-term side effects of hormone or puberty blockers in children with gender dysphoria.
It is not known what the psychological effects may be, or if hormone blockers affect the development of the teenage brain or children’s bones.
From the age of 16, teenagers who’ve been on hormone blockers for at least 12 months may be given cross-sex hormones, also known as gender-affirming hormones.
Patients over the age of 18 can go on to have sex reassignment surgery.
The Government estimates there are 500,000 people in the UK currently transitioning.
Growing demand and wider acceptance of gender dysphoria has led to a sharp rise in demand for specialist services.
The number of people in England waiting to start treatment is currently at 11,000, with some waiting up to five years.
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