The terms, "transgender" and "trans" are used to describe individuals who do not conform to conventional divisions of female and male. This encompasses different types of people and lifestyles. Trans people are at increased risk for certain transgender health issues.
There are different degrees of transgender identity. Transvestites like to cross-dress as members of the opposite sex but do not wish to become the other sex. Drag queens and drag kings are somewhat intermediate, appearing neither feminine nor masculine. Then there are those who feel they either do not belong to either the male or female gender, or they feel a little bit of each.
Transexuals are people who have a powerful desire to live and be recognized as a member of the opposite gender to which they were born. Many of these people have gender reassignment treatment to make their appearance look more like their desired gender. This may include a combination of hormones and surgery with rigorous counselling.
Children who experience this feeling of gender misalignment feel it at a surprisingly young age. When little Nick started playing with female-oriented toys and games at the age of two, his mother noticed this but did not feel particularly concerned. By the age of four, he announced to her that God had made him a boy by mistake. When he reached the age of six years old, he told her he wanted to change his assigned gender.
Fortunately, Nick's mother found a sensitive doctor who, by injecting hormones, was able to postpone Nick's puberty until he had made a firm choice to change his gender. Without the hormones, she would have progressed through male puberty, which would have been psychologically agonizing for her. Had that happened, she told her mother, she would have killed herself. Nick eventually proceeded to go through the complete change to Nicki.
Trans people are more likely than the general population to feel mentally distressed because of the levels of social disapproval and discrimination that they often face. They experience higher levels of harassment and violence and are therefore at an increased risk of depression, self-harm and suicide. They will often avoid seeking medical care because they are afraid of being rejected.
Many providers of medical care lack the necessary grasp of transgender issues. Feeling inadequate, they may turn patients away. It is also true that many gender-associated problems are not covered by health insurance. This puts up another barrier to the transgender population to receive access to medical care. This is a serious problem, because occasionally people who have undergone gender reassignment develop cancer in their "old" sexual organs.
Fortunately, there are a number of helpful organizations that offer help. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is one such organization. Among its missions are to promote evidence based care and respect for trans patients. The Mermaids charity exists to support children, teens and families with gender identity issues. The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health focuses on HIV prevention, routine care, mental wellness and cultural competency.
There are different degrees of transgender identity. Transvestites like to cross-dress as members of the opposite sex but do not wish to become the other sex. Drag queens and drag kings are somewhat intermediate, appearing neither feminine nor masculine. Then there are those who feel they either do not belong to either the male or female gender, or they feel a little bit of each.
Transexuals are people who have a powerful desire to live and be recognized as a member of the opposite gender to which they were born. Many of these people have gender reassignment treatment to make their appearance look more like their desired gender. This may include a combination of hormones and surgery with rigorous counselling.
Children who experience this feeling of gender misalignment feel it at a surprisingly young age. When little Nick started playing with female-oriented toys and games at the age of two, his mother noticed this but did not feel particularly concerned. By the age of four, he announced to her that God had made him a boy by mistake. When he reached the age of six years old, he told her he wanted to change his assigned gender.
Fortunately, Nick's mother found a sensitive doctor who, by injecting hormones, was able to postpone Nick's puberty until he had made a firm choice to change his gender. Without the hormones, she would have progressed through male puberty, which would have been psychologically agonizing for her. Had that happened, she told her mother, she would have killed herself. Nick eventually proceeded to go through the complete change to Nicki.
Trans people are more likely than the general population to feel mentally distressed because of the levels of social disapproval and discrimination that they often face. They experience higher levels of harassment and violence and are therefore at an increased risk of depression, self-harm and suicide. They will often avoid seeking medical care because they are afraid of being rejected.
Many providers of medical care lack the necessary grasp of transgender issues. Feeling inadequate, they may turn patients away. It is also true that many gender-associated problems are not covered by health insurance. This puts up another barrier to the transgender population to receive access to medical care. This is a serious problem, because occasionally people who have undergone gender reassignment develop cancer in their "old" sexual organs.
Fortunately, there are a number of helpful organizations that offer help. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is one such organization. Among its missions are to promote evidence based care and respect for trans patients. The Mermaids charity exists to support children, teens and families with gender identity issues. The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health focuses on HIV prevention, routine care, mental wellness and cultural competency.
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