A Journalist's Look

[AnnaLee]

Good evening!

After reading the board's on Susan's place for some time now, imagine to my chagrin that not too long ago someone posted that he is doing a project on transsexualism. Well... ditto!

A bit about myself:

I am an undergraduate student at Texas State University where I study journalism and political communication. As a part of one of my mass communication classes, we are working as a group to research several topics. My group chose to cover plastic surgery, and from that I decided that I would talk about SRS. My father is transgender, and so it is a subject fairly close to me.

I was wondering if one or more of you would be willing to go on the record to talk about your experiences. This will be a long piece, but will be written as a feature article, not a research paper. Hopefully I can see it in print one day.

If you'd like to share your story with me, please respond to my post and I will get in touch with you. If you feel comfortable enough, perhaps we can meet face to face (if you're in the area- Austin, Texas) or conduct a phone interview.

Thank you so much ahead of time!

-Anna

[Ms.Behavin]

well,

If your still looking for a subject, Email me at goldwinggirl@gmail.com and we'll chat. 

Beni (on the left coast)

[seldom]

The thing is some of us do not see SRS as a "plastic" or "cosmetic" surgery and the classification as such is entirely detrimental.  It is a common explanation used by insurance companies to justify medical exclusions in policies regarding transgender care. As a whole it devalues the condition.  In reality it is part of the treatment for transsexualism. 

(I am an individual who is in favor of having only non-cosmetic surgeons do GRS or SRS because having cosmetic surgeons do the proceedure has hurt us more than help us with regards to medical insurance and the medical community, and has contributed to some of the misunderstanding of transsexualism.  The further we move the proceedure away the cosmetic surgery field, the more likely the condition will be accepted as a legitimate medical condition by insurers and the wider medical community.)

[TreeFlower]

(I am an individual who is in favor of having only non-cosmetic surgeons do GRS or SRS because having cosmetic surgeons do the proceedure has hurt us more than help us with regards to medical insurance and the medical community, and has contributed to some of the misunderstanding of transsexualism.  The further we move the proceedure away the cosmetic surgery field, the more likely the condition will be accepted as a legitimate medical condition by insurers and the wider medical community.)

Yes but don't cosmetic surgeons have the skill set needed for GRS?

[seldom]

(I am an individual who is in favor of having only non-cosmetic surgeons do GRS or SRS because having cosmetic surgeons do the proceedure has hurt us more than help us with regards to medical insurance and the medical community, and has contributed to some of the misunderstanding of transsexualism.  The further we move the proceedure away the cosmetic surgery field, the more likely the condition will be accepted as a legitimate medical condition by insurers and the wider medical community.)

Yes but don't cosmetic surgeons have the skill set needed for GRS?

Any talented surgeon can do the surgery if properly trained under another surgeon. Cosmetic surgeons may have the skill set, but it is there reputation as "cosmetic" surgeons (ie MEDICALLY UNNECESSARY) that hurts us.    In fact one of the surgeons doing the surgery in the US is not a cosmetic surgeon (Marci Bowers).  The more gynocologists and urologists that perform the SRS and do not handle any cosmetic proceedures (this includes FFS and BA), the more likely this will be seen as a necessary medical proceedure rather than a cosmetic one by insurers, the medical community, and the public at large.

I don't think many TS have a good grasp on this issue and really think it through.  While cosmetic surgeons may have the skill set, so do other medical practicioners.   We need doctors who have a reputation not as cosmetic surgeons (in addition to psychiatrists and endos) to argue this is a medically necessary surgery and to perform the surgery skillfully.  There is sound reasoning here.  Cosmetic surgeons are percieved to perform medically unnecessary proceedures, we are trying to argue this is a medically necessary proceedure to treat a legitimate medical condition.  If cosmetic surgeons are the primary ones performing this surgery it does hurt the arguement that this is medically necessary proceedure.