The magnitude and duration of exposure is probably lower, since plastic is a western and relatively recent invention.
Moreover, it is precisely because transgenderism is primarily a cultural (rather than biological) phenomenon, that rates between two otherwise identical populations are going to differ based on the culture's attitude toward transgenderism and the likelihood that a doctor is to diagnose someone with gender dysphoria.
That latter point is severely understudied because transgenderism is one of the wests many recent sacred cows which are beyond criticism. But overdiagnosis should be a much greater concern than it is. Especially since puberty blockers and hormones given to adolescent boys will undoubtedly exacerbate any feelings of dysphoria and I am astounded that no one is talking about the reinforcing effects of these "treatments".
But I digress. Point being comparing rates of transgenderism between first and third worlds is like comparing apples to oranges because transgenderism is a cultural phenomenon.
Maybe, though I think it's better explained by the widespread availability of pornography, and the power of the internet in reinforcing cult-like behaviour.
There's a huge amount of "forced feminization" pornography out there now, accessible by children at a very young age. As well as "lesbian" pornography designed for the male gaze. It's no wonder some males end up feeling they should be like the characters in the pornography they consume.
It's controversial to say this these days, but old school transwomen such as Anne Lawrence were very open about the sexually-charged nature of their dysphoria. (And she published extensively on this topic.)
On top of that, there are many trans-encouraging echo chambers in the form of online forums, subreddits, and Twitter - ready to help anyone even vaguely curious to "crack their egg", as they say.
Maybe environmental estrogens play some part in this rise, but I suspect it would only be a small piece of the larger puzzle.
I mean, there's a name for it, I don't think its a new phenomenon: autogynephilia. If it becomes so severe as to interfere with daily life then I don't think indulgence is an appropriate treatment, any more than I would expect telling a schizophrenic to listen to the voices in their head to be responsible medical practice.
We've gone too far with all of this acceptance stuff, because these modern acceptance movements brush off any criticism, however logical or valid, with accusations of bigotry. If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then puberty blockers, affirmation treatment, and SRS are premium quality cement.
Edit: hilariously ironic that the wikipedia page for autogynophilia has been deleted from the english wiki, though there is a talk page discussing its restoration[0]...how uncomfortably dystopian. I can only hope that average people are catching onto the games played to justify this irrationality.
