are non-op IS people comfortable with their bodies?

[RebeccaFog]

Hi,

   I'm just curious about how many IS people who have not had 'corrective' surgery are comfortable with their bodies the way they are.

   How many people seek corrective surgery?

   I am not IS and I don't mean to offend anyone with this inquiry.


Your friend,

Rebis

[Lorelei]

I had a Hypeospadious that deformed the shape of the penis plus had to urinate ->-bleeped-<-ting down which was fine with me as I hated looking at it.  If I looked in a full length mirror I always had it tulcked out of site.  I never undressed in front of anyone I was so ashamed.  I was transexual and opted for surgury at age 27. I would literly die If I woke up one morning and it was back.  It was so bad to live with for me.

[RebeccaFog]

   I forgot that a lot of times the parts are deformed.  I'm glad you had your operation and that you're feeling better about yourself.

   Thank you for the reply.

[Thundra]

R,

I think it depends on the person, but there is a strong movement brewing in that regard.

Unfortunately, because doctors enjoy playing GOD, few ever get to realize that option.

But the important thing is that regradless of what one decides to do, surgical correction or not, it is OK.

[Doc]

I had a brief aquaintance with an intersex androgyne. I can't remember which specific intersex condition e has, but it was a deal where e seemed to be a normal boy, but at puberty the male genitalia didn't grow and e developed breasts instead. Eir parents took eir to the doctor, who said they'd fix it with hormones and surgery and e would grow up to be a normal man. E said, 'No frickin' way, this is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me,' and had to run away from home for a brief while before the parents would accept eir choice.

I somehow doubt this story is typical, though. That's the only intersex person I've ever met where I knew e was intersex.

[saraswatidevi]

When you refer to corrective surgery are you referring to surgery on the external genitalia?

They did a show on Oprah last Friday about Intersex. Of the people who spoke one was xy with androgen insensitivity, very feminine and at 6 or so had the testes removed but other aspects of her genitalia left alone. She seemed fine, female and happy and understands that she can't have children since she doesn't have a uterus. She very clearly didn't want that testosterone and she seemed to receive good support from parents and the medical community. So there was no corrective surgery to external genitalia but the testes were removed. This person always considered herself a girl and that testosterone would have been quite a burden.

Another considers herself both male and female and the luckiest person on earth just the way she is. She considers herself very lucky because the doctors wanted to alter her genitals surgically at birth and her parents refused. Gynocologists have told her that they have never seen genitalia like hers; presumably because so many intersex children are altered before they have a chance to choose.

[seldom]

I never had a choice.  I am TS, but I imagine I had a case of either extreme hypospadias (which I do have even to this day but its distal) or something that was non-conforming to ideas of what genitalia should look like. Either way I have a large scar where scar normally does not appear.  All I know again I am TS, so I identify as female, so surgery to correct the infant IS surgery is a must.  I did not have a choice in the matter.  So I am in no way comfortable with my body, I feel like I had no choice in the matter, and its additionally upseting that my parents claimed by transitioning I was mutilating my body, they did a wonderful job of doing first. 

[RebeccaFog]

That's too bad, Amy.

I wish things had worked out differently for you.

[Yvonne]

Most are.  I know I would have been happy if they hadnt converted me into a boy.  But that's bloody life.  Most of us don't have a choice.  We're just butchered before we can speak up and thrown into society to deal with the consequences.  Some ppl are lucky and their assigned birth sex matches their gender but not everyone is that lucky.

[RebeccaFog]

I wish it hadn't been that way, Yvonne

[martjan]

hi iam happy the way i was born and hapy the way i look now between a boy and a girl and a surgy why i must destroy the look i have its the look i born white