News and Events => Opinions & Editorials => Topic started by: Shana A on December 15, 2010, 08:07:07 AM Return to Full Version
Title: 'I hated the thought of a child I'd raised struggling with my history'
Post by: Shana A on December 15, 2010, 08:07:07 AM
Post by: Shana A on December 15, 2010, 08:07:07 AM
'I hated the thought of a child I'd raised struggling with my history'
As she prepares to start hormone therapy, Juliet Jacques is forced to consider if she will ever want to be a parent. Should she save sperm for the future?
* Juliet Jacques
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 15 December 2010 10.20 GMT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/14/transgender-freezing-sperm (http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/14/transgender-freezing-sperm)
For transsexual people, a strong relationship with a GP is vital. Doctors cannot legally block access to medical services – since a ruling in 1999, they have been obliged to refer patients elsewhere if they morally oppose gender reassignment. Now, a good rapport remains necessary for more subtle reasons. Telling people that you are transsexual is difficult in any circumstance: it is impossible to get onto the NHS pathway without coming out to your GP, and for some people, the GP may be the first person s/he tells. If, in referral, the doctor shows an obvious negative attitude, the patient might feel reluctant to seek help for other medical concerns, whether directly related to their transsexual status or not.
As she prepares to start hormone therapy, Juliet Jacques is forced to consider if she will ever want to be a parent. Should she save sperm for the future?
* Juliet Jacques
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 15 December 2010 10.20 GMT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/14/transgender-freezing-sperm (http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/14/transgender-freezing-sperm)
For transsexual people, a strong relationship with a GP is vital. Doctors cannot legally block access to medical services – since a ruling in 1999, they have been obliged to refer patients elsewhere if they morally oppose gender reassignment. Now, a good rapport remains necessary for more subtle reasons. Telling people that you are transsexual is difficult in any circumstance: it is impossible to get onto the NHS pathway without coming out to your GP, and for some people, the GP may be the first person s/he tells. If, in referral, the doctor shows an obvious negative attitude, the patient might feel reluctant to seek help for other medical concerns, whether directly related to their transsexual status or not.