sex change
Sex change in animals
Some species are known to change sex, including reproductive functions, in special circumstances, such as the clownfish. A school of clownfish is always built into a hierarchy with a female fish at the top. When she dies, the most dominant male changes sex and takes her place. See Hermaphrodite for more details.
Sex change in humans
Sex Change is a term often used for sex change in humans, that is all medical procedures transgender people may pursue, or specifically to sex reassignment surgery, which usually refers to genital surgery only. It is also sometimes used for the medical procedures intersex people undergo, or, more often, are subjected to as children.
"Sex change" is sometimes also used for the whole process of changing gender role and the medical procedures associated with it. Since changing of gender role, i.e. living as a woman instead of living as a man, or living as a man instead of living as a woman, is much more important to almost all transgender people than any medical procedures, this use is even more inaccurate. (Of course, medically induced changes and surgeries are often needed to make a change of gender role at all possible, both socially and legally. Also, they can have a very significant impact on the well-being of people having them.)
Many people also see "sex change" as factually inaccurate. Sex in humans is usually determined by four factors:
 Chromosomes
Gonads (Ovaries and/or testicles)
Hormone status
Primary sex characteristics, sometimes also secondary sex characteristics
Not all of these factors can be changed, however:
Chromosomes cannot be changed.
Gonads can be removed, but not replaced
Hormone status is easily changed
Existing sex characteristics can to some extent be changed; existing ones mostly through surgery, non-existing ones can be induced to grow through hormones.
For example: Changing a male genital anatomy into a good or even excellent female appearing and functioning one is complicated, but entirely possible; changing a female genital anatomy into an even reasonably male appearing one however is extremely complicated and not successful very often; function is always limited.
Gender reassignment is usually precluded by a period of feminization or masculinization. This is accomplished by the use of either synthetic/natural hormones (such as estrogens, androgens, progesterones and anti-androgens) and/or through special herbs.
The most common period before reassignment is two years either taking hormones and/or living 'full-time' (in the 'target gender' roll full time). The increase from the one-year by the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care had more to do with controversy surrounding a small minority of patients which proved to have regretted the transition, than the necessary shrinkage which easier facilitates the removal of male genetalia.
Some transgender people refer to feelings of being like a woman trapped inside a man's body, or vice-versa. There is evidence that various physical conditions can produce this. Assuming the absolute idea that if something can be wrong with somebody, we have no problem in seeing that a person's hormones may be in disconcordance with their physical gender. Further, the natural introduction of certain hormones into the unborn child at key developmental stages can differ in as many as one in five people to produce inverted brain sex in one fifth of the population. While this is twice as common as left-handedness (and so relatively normal) for a proportion of these people it may produce effeminizing behaviour, attraction to the same sex (bi-sexual and homosexual) and in fewer still, identifying as the 'opposite' sex and the desiring to alter sex. Transwomen (born male) that have had sex reassignment surgery were found to have a smaller interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalimus similar to cisgendered women (though doubtless having other cerebral mental characteristics).
The use of computer "brain sex tests" is one way to get a feel for the orientation of a brain, though they can be misrepresentative by failure to account for the presence of hormones in the opposite sex brain. For example, it is unknown how much the presence of testosterone in a female brain temporarily masculizes it to some degree, thereby masking the natural gender function of the brain.
Only a small proportion of people (about 10%) enquiring after gender reassignment go on to have the operation.
For anybody who is gender dysphoric, this can be an extremely stressful time in their life, the anxiety of such a radical alteration even being known to cause a high incidence of suicidal thoughts. Problems with being "between sexes" account for some of the stress, and acceptance by colleagues, family and friends no small amount of concern. Many transgender people do not need or wish to have genital surgery. Some would argue that there is an overemphasis on genitalia.
See also
List of transgender-related topics
References
|
|
|
|
This section is sponsored by:
Sex Change
Find Sex Change info here!
www.dealrain.com
Sex Change
100+ Porn Sites for $1. Ultra Premium Quality High Definition Movies. One Pass Gets You All Access.
www.pornfor1dollar.com
Lowest Priced Computers
Get the lowest prices on laptops, desktops and computer accessories
www.Geeks.com
HP Laptops & Notebooks
Find great deals on HP laptops & notebooks along with accessories for your computer.
www.shopping.hp.com
Buy Computers Cheap
Get Computer,Laptop,Acces. Save and Order Now!
Portable-LaptopComputers.com
Complete Laptop &Accessories
Need laptop &accessories in new tech? Find here at affordable Price.
Computer-Laptop.net
Get a Mac Computer
Find the Mac computer that fits your needs from the Macbook to the iMac
store.apple.com
Laptop & Desktop Computers
Find great deals & low prices brand name laptops and desktop computers.
www.buy.com
|
