Post-SRS regret - guidelines for future admissions

[Fencesitter]

Heya,

I already posted the link somewhere else, but it was at the end of an endless postings.

You know what alarms me a lot? There's been a recent Dutch study, trying to figure out post-SRS regret. They gathered data from many former studies about post SRS regret. Then, from this statistical evidence, which is cool to gather and would be great to warn people from SRS but let them make their own choice, well, instead: this study may help to delay or deny SRS in certain cases when there are certain risk factors, due to statistics, as there needs to be special precautions made. It's not the purpose of the study, but we all know how our gatekeepers tick.

(Sarcastic side note: marriages between black African dudes and German girls often fail as the guys have their families far away and often go back. So do they have to get their marriages and allowance to become pregnant delayed and only allowed after extra precautions by consenting shrinks as well?) 

Read well through this paternalistic ->-bleeped-<-, keep their criteria in mind and try not to ever admit to any of that. If you want to keep control of your life and not submit it to shrinks. I'd not be so extreme in my reactions if there weren't such gatekeeper systems, but if if were partnership-like. Unfortunately it's not. In other circumstances, I'd applaud research results, but not in such a paternalistic setting. Thank you, we're adults.

Among other groups, this study might make the SRS aspect of transition more difficult for non-straight transsexuals. If that will be indeed the effect, it's discrimination due to sexual orientation, in this case when it comes to health care, and which, in my opinion, is clearly seen as anti-constitutional by the European Court of Human Rights, as delaying or denying medical treatment due to sexual orientation goes against the human rights. Why am I so sure that this will happen? Well because it's always been like that here. Trans people get their butts kicked by lesser courts until someone with courage, years of time and lots of money fight successfully for obvious human rights on front of the European Courts. I hate hat.

By the way, in the study, they call such people "non-homosexuals" cause they go by birth gender. Respect of new gender? No, not even after SRS. Seems to be too much of a pain to write down the right words. It's just ->-bleeped-<-s, we don't need to respect them. Dumbasses. One more reason for me to shout the warning over all roofs and not regard their findings as secret. I'll write these sh*theads a mail about that.


Citation from the abstract:

Some of the potential risk factors for poor outcomes of sex reassignment for the literature or from retrospective studies indeed appeared to be important for predicting the course and outcomes of treatment. Psychological functioning, inconsistencies in reported gender dysphoria, physical appearance, and a nonhomosexual [means: transwomen not being only into men, transmen not being only into women] preference deserve particular attention when eligibility for treatment is assessed. However, the data, though unprecedented and valuable because of their prospective nature, do not allow us to draw conclusions about absolute contraindications.

Here's the Dutch study:
http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2002-0808-103443/c5.pdf

[Flan]

another study basically says social (family) acceptance is a big factor in regret.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1998.tb10001.x/abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the features and calculate the frequency of sex-reassigned subjects who had applied for reversal to their biological sex, and to compare these with non-regretful subjects. An inception cohort was retrospectively identified consisting of all subjects with gender identity disorder who were approved for sex reassignment in Sweden during the period 1972-1992. The period of time that elapsed between the application and this evaluation ranged from 4 to 24 years. The total cohort consisted of 218 subjects. The results showed that 3.8% of the patients who were sex reassigned during 1972-1992 regretted the measures taken. The cohort was subdivided according to the presence or absence of regret of sex reassignment, and the two groups were compared. The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that two factors predicted regret of sex reassignment, namely lack of support from the patient's family, and the patient belonging to the non-core group of transsexuals. In conclusion, the results show that the outcome of sex reassignment has improved over the years. However, the identified risk factors indicate the need for substantial efforts to support the families and close friends of candidates for sex reassignment.

[Fencesitter]

Wow, so this study would have the consequence of those for us who are informed about these studies - that we cannot tell gatekeepers any more if the family doesn't accept us? I mean, unless we want to jeopardize SRS? But it's a horribly old study and times have changed now...

[Cindy Stephens]

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!  Oh, wait a minute, maybe that's a little extreme.  Look, the study found a relatively small regret component.  Further, they were able to find some correlation with a particular characteristic.  I think that this is a good thing.  Why?  Because if a shrink discovers this characteristic in someone going for GRS, the issue can be addressed, looked at, analyzed.  SO THE PERSON DOESN'T MAKE A LIFE ALTERING DECISION THAT THEY WILL REGRET!  It said that nothing was discovered that would contraindicate GRS, only that it was a caution sign.  Shrinks help you work this kind of issue out.  That is why you, or your insurance co., pays them the medium bucks.  I simply don't see that as a negative, but rather as a chance to LOWER that regret statistic.  Isn't that kind of a good thing?

[K8]

I was interested to read my letters for GRS, to see what they stressed.  Importance was put on how I was managing as a woman (RLE), how much family and community support I had, and whether I made a moderately presentable woman.  My therapists thought that because of how these factors were for me, I had a good chance of a successful transition and therefore GRS was warranted.

From what I have seen, the 'gatekeepers' are concerned that you might create even more problems for yourself.  They want you to be able to function in your new role.  If it looks to them like you will have big problems living as your target gender – or have other unresolved issues that will prevent you from living well in the target gender – they want to delay your transition while they help you work out those problems.

And isn't that what we all want – to be able to function comfortably and well?

- Kate

[rejennyrated]

Hold on this is the biggest load of alarmist rubbish I have ever read.

The results showed that 3.8% of the patients who were sex reassigned during 1972-1992 regretted the measures taken

Think about that properly folks 3.8% out of a study size of 216

Invert the logic - that means over 96% HAD NO REGRETS which is an astonishingly good result - not the disaster that the original poster seems to suggest.

By these figures just 8 people had regrets 

and that means 208 out of 216 DID NOT regret having SRS.

That is actually a major major PLUS and in no way whatsoever a cause for added caution. So anyone who is trying to use these stats to argue for more delays is either prejudiced, crazy, or unable to read statistics! (or possibly all three)

[JohnR]

I'm obviously missing something here. Nothing about that study tells me it will be used to prevent trans people receiving future help. Oh well, don't let that put people off having a happy little rant though.

[justmeinoz]

That still means SRS patients have the highest satisfaction rating going!

[rejennyrated]

I'm obviously missing something here. Nothing about that study tells me it will be used to prevent trans people receiving future help. Oh well, don't let that put people off having a happy little rant though.

That still means SRS patients have the highest satisfaction rating going!

BINGO!

Exactly!

But it seems some people are so conditioned to trouble that they see it even when it isn't there.

I used manage a guy like that. He figured that management were all bastards and therefore anything a manager would do MUST be designed to do him down.

For example I once tried to give him an afternoon off because he had worked extra hard restoring a vital film print from the vaults. He refused to go because he was absolutely convinced that the only reason a manager would ever want to give him extra time off was to talk about getting rid of him - which was the last thing I wanted, as he was my most skilled man.