So um,
Yesterday, I learned that apparently, no one talks to Ashkenazi trans girls or women about breast cancer.
If you are taking female HRT, you are at a similar risk of breast cancer as a cis woman. And Ashkenazi women are at a higher risk than the average woman due in part to gene mutations.
Unfortunately, despite that, not all health insurances cover routine mammograms for trans women.
This makes it super super important that you do your monthly Breast Self-Exams (BSE) at home.
I've copied a video on how to perform a BSE below, but just a note that Ashkenazi women are more prone to breast cancer in general and at a younger age, so please if you do feel anything, make an appointment with your doctor
Might need to resource the video. It's age restricted by YouTube and can't be embedded anymore.
Thanks for the heads up! But it was hard enough to find a video that demos the BSE properly to begin with, that I suspect any of them would be age restricted. The video should still have a "watch on youtube" link that you can use to view it.
If you are Ashkenazi, get tested for the BRCA mutations. That mutation ups your chances of not just breast cancer, but also ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and certain types of skin cancer.
A positive BRCA test gets your insurance to allow early mammograms, as well as other screening. It gets you the option for prophylactic removal of breasts and ovaries if that's the path you want to take. (I don't know if prophylactic prostate removal is a thing.)
You are much, much safer knowing than not knowing. The test is easy. You can do it with spit, no needles necessary. And if you're in a risk group like Ashkenazi Jews, the test itself should be covered by insurance.
Also, have your pcp do a manual exam at your yearly physical.
This is very good advice for cis Ashkenazi Jewish women! BRCA testing is covered by most insurances for cis Ashkenazi Jewish women.
Unfortunately, with the state of health insurance being what it is in the United States, many health insurances don't carry equivalent coverage for cis women and trans women even for conditions they are now equally at risk for.
Be aware, if you do go outside a hospital, health clinic, or doctor's office for genetic testing in general or BRCA testing in specific, they will not be beholden to HIPAA.
This is why regular BSEs are so important, it is not only your most reliable early warning system, with your health insurance, it is likely to be your only early warning system.
Even if you do get the BRCA test, BSEs are still key for breast health. The test only tells you the likelihood of developing cancer, not whether you have any of the signs of having it now.