Sex change: Early diagnosis of gender-identity disorder has doctors facing tough

[Shana A]

Sex change: Early diagnosis of gender-identity disorder has doctors facing tough decisions

Kathryn Blaze Carlson 
Mar 3, 2012 2:29 PM ET

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/03/sex-change-early-diagnosis-of-gender-identity-disorder-has-doctors-facing-tough-decisions/

Jade Hines went through puberty twice. First as a teenaged male and then, years later with the help of cross-sex hormones, she began her womanly development.

Ms. Hines, now 24, is pleased with the sex-reassignment surgery she had three years ago that turned her physically into a woman. But she is self-conscious about her voice, which would not have dropped quite so low had she avoided male puberty.

Doing that would have required something called puberty-blocking treatment — drugs used to suppress physical development. Ms. Hines did not take advantage of the treatment all those years ago because she was not aware transsexuality even existed, but she said she wishes she had.

[Jamie D]

The article linked in the post is very good and well worth reading.

[spacial]

It is a good artile.

Teens, too young to vote or drink, are considered old enough to begin the process of preparing for a sex change.

No, they are considered old enough to say they have a problem to receive support with that problem. They are not old enough for SRS or any irreversible support.

and whether parents should deny treatment that might lead to severe bullying

Speaking as one (of many), for whom transision wasn't available, for a number of reasons, this is an understandable yet totally wrong attitude.

The bullying happens anyway. Being an effeminate, weak poof tends to make you a target for bullying, even into adulthood.

The question should be, do you want your child to be a happy victim or a frustrated one? Because bullying is part of anyone's life.

[CybeleNV9751]

A good article, yes.  But I was bothered by one quote: 'Very few young kids who say they want to be another gender actually become transsexual'.
That posits the notion that one "becomes" transsexual at some point beyond birth.  Although science hasn't proved it yet, I believe that some (perhaps all?) transsexuals such as myself are born this way.  In which case, even if one is a child, saying that want to be (or feel that they are) another gender may very well be an indication that they are already transsexual.  And if there is some way that can be "proven", then perhaps doctors might consider hormone treatment and even SRS/GRS before the onset of puberty!

[justmeinoz]

Doctors are paid to make tough decisions in line with the facts of the case.  If the patient and their parents approve, and GID has been diagnosed, then it should be solely a question of the risks, side effects etc.

Karen.