Page 38 - Fyne Times Spring 2014

SPRING 2014
Ticking all the boxes –
Gender Recognition
Much of the general public believe a
‘sex change’ involves surgery to alter the
physical make-up of a person because
they want to become the ‘opposite sex’.
This is, of course, an all-too over used
over-simplification. Gender recognition
is now an official process which can be
the final part of a journey to resolve
feelings of gender difference….and what
most people don’t realise is that it doesn’t
necessarily involve surgery.
Assessment
A trip to your GP is the first step for
anybody who feels their birth certificate
does not represent their true gender
identity. Your visit to the doctor will
probably be very nerve-wracking, but at
this stage you only need to briefly explain
your situation as they will then refer
you to one of the gender identity clinics
across the UK. Many transgender people
start their journey at the famous
Charing Cross Gender Identity
Clinic in London.
Your first appointment at Charing
Cross, or one of the other clinics
will involve an assessment where
you can talk about your gender and
the feelings you experience. A blood
test is often carried out (if you are
not already taking hormones) to rule
out an underlying medical issue. The
initial assessment is a time to discuss
what treatment you may want. Some
people enter the clinic with the intention
of undergoing full surgery, while others
simply want to explore their gender issues
further with the help of professionals.
After the initial assessment, referrals
are made for counselling, voice therapy,
endocrinology or whatever other
treatments were discussed in the initial
assessment.
Gender Dysphoria
The terminology of gender issues is always
a sticking point. It’s hard to sum up the
vast range of needs and differences within
such a diverse population in one term.
While one person may see their gender
issues as a medical problem, others may
view it more as a personality trait much
like homosexuality. Similarly, some
embrace the word ‘transgender’ while
others hate it. There is no right answer
and everybody has their own definition,
which should be respected.
But when it comes to treatment,
simple and quick definitions are often
needed. The term which has been
settled on is Gender Dysphoria. This
term is shorthand for a list of diagnostic
criteria which are used to determine
the treatments available. A diagnosis is
always needed before any treatment on
the NHS is offered. This will be done