gay.com – by Patrick Letellier
Kari Sundstrom, a 41-year-old transgender woman, had been on female hormones for 15 years when, in January, the Wisconsin Legislature passed a law banning hormone treatments or sex reassigment surgery for prison inmates. This meant Sundstrom, incarcerated since 2003, would have to discontinue her hormone therapy.
On Jan. 12, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections cut Sundstrom’s hormone dosage in half. Officials notified her it would be halved again in 30 days, and, 30 days later, terminated.
Suddenly stopping hormone therapy can be calamitous for transgender people, causing, among other possible problems, diabetes, hypertension, muscle wasting, osteoporosis and heart failure. It can also lead to self-mutilation and suicide attempts.