Marco joins an unusual group called “seahorses”. (Representative)
A transgender man who underwent mastectomy and gender reassignment surgery in Italy has been found to be five months pregnant, the New York Post reported. Marco, who is expected to survive the pregnancy, will join a rare group of seahorse dads. This is believed to be the first such case in Italy.
According to the report, the transperson had undergone a mastectomy (surgical mastectomy) and was preparing for a hysterectomy (hysterectomy) when she discovered she was pregnant at a hospital in Rome.
La Repubblica, The newspaper, which first reported on the medical case, said Marco would become the child’s biological mother but would be legally registered as the father.
Endocrinologist Dr. Julia Senofonte warned that the fetus may be at risk and that (hormone) therapy should be stopped immediately.
“If treatment is not stopped immediately, it may affect the early stages of pregnancy, especially during the critical period for the development of the baby’s organs,” she was quoted as saying.
She said hormone therapy blocks the menstrual cycle but does not act as a contraceptive. She says people undergoing treatment may continue to ovulate, putting them at risk of becoming pregnant.
People undergoing gender reassignment can use permitted contraceptives during treatment, she added.
Transgender men who carry babies are called “seahorses,” a term derived from the fact that male seahorses carry and give birth to their offspring.