Gender identity is the internal personal sense of being a man, woman, or outside the binary gender identity. For transgender people, this identity differs from the gender they were assigned at birth. While gender identity differs from sexual orientation, it is no easier to change. For this reason, transgender individuals seek to align their bodies with their gender identity. Consequently, certain transgender health issues frequently arise within this population.
There are different degrees of transgender identity. Transvestites like to cross-dress as members of the opposite sex but do not wish to become the other sex. Drag queens and drag kings are somewhat intermediate, appearing neither feminine nor masculine. Then there are those who feel they either do not belong to either the male or female gender, or they feel a little bit of each.
Transexuals are those who believe they were assigned the wrong gender to fit their own gender identity. These people have an overwhelming drive to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite gender to which they were assigned at birth. They may opt for gender reassignment to make themselves look like the gender with which they identify. Gender reassignment treatment involves a combination of surgery, hormone therapy and psychological counselling.
Children who experience this feeling of gender misalignment feel it at a surprisingly young age. When little Nick started playing with female-oriented toys and games at the age of two, his mother noticed this but did not feel particularly concerned. By the age of four, he announced to her that God had made him a boy by mistake. When he reached the age of six years old, he told her he wanted to change his assigned gender.
Fortunately, Nick's mother found a sensitive doctor who, by injecting hormones, was able to postpone Nick's puberty until he had made a firm choice to change his gender. Without the hormones, she would have progressed through male puberty, which would have been psychologically agonizing for her. Had that happened, she told her mother, she would have killed herself. Nick eventually proceeded to go through the complete change to Nicki.
Transgender individuals are confronted by high levels of discrimination and social disapproval. Often this is in the form of harassment and outright violence. Consequently, they are more vulnerable than the general population to feelings of depression. They are more prone to self-harm and to suicide. Often they avoid seeking medical altogether because they anticipate rejection.
Many providers of medical care lack the necessary grasp of transgender issues. Feeling inadequate, they may turn patients away. It is also true that many gender-associated problems are not covered by health insurance. This puts up another barrier to the transgender population to receive access to medical care. This is a serious problem, because occasionally people who have undergone gender reassignment develop cancer in their "old" sexual organs.
In the past two decades, several organizations have been established to help correct these problems. The Mermaids charity, for example, supports kids, teens and their families with gender identity topics. The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health focuses its attention on preventing HIV, mental well-being, routine care and cultural competency. The World Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, exists to provide advocacy, care and respect for trans patients.
There are different degrees of transgender identity. Transvestites like to cross-dress as members of the opposite sex but do not wish to become the other sex. Drag queens and drag kings are somewhat intermediate, appearing neither feminine nor masculine. Then there are those who feel they either do not belong to either the male or female gender, or they feel a little bit of each.
Transexuals are those who believe they were assigned the wrong gender to fit their own gender identity. These people have an overwhelming drive to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite gender to which they were assigned at birth. They may opt for gender reassignment to make themselves look like the gender with which they identify. Gender reassignment treatment involves a combination of surgery, hormone therapy and psychological counselling.
Children who experience this feeling of gender misalignment feel it at a surprisingly young age. When little Nick started playing with female-oriented toys and games at the age of two, his mother noticed this but did not feel particularly concerned. By the age of four, he announced to her that God had made him a boy by mistake. When he reached the age of six years old, he told her he wanted to change his assigned gender.
Fortunately, Nick's mother found a sensitive doctor who, by injecting hormones, was able to postpone Nick's puberty until he had made a firm choice to change his gender. Without the hormones, she would have progressed through male puberty, which would have been psychologically agonizing for her. Had that happened, she told her mother, she would have killed herself. Nick eventually proceeded to go through the complete change to Nicki.
Transgender individuals are confronted by high levels of discrimination and social disapproval. Often this is in the form of harassment and outright violence. Consequently, they are more vulnerable than the general population to feelings of depression. They are more prone to self-harm and to suicide. Often they avoid seeking medical altogether because they anticipate rejection.
Many providers of medical care lack the necessary grasp of transgender issues. Feeling inadequate, they may turn patients away. It is also true that many gender-associated problems are not covered by health insurance. This puts up another barrier to the transgender population to receive access to medical care. This is a serious problem, because occasionally people who have undergone gender reassignment develop cancer in their "old" sexual organs.
In the past two decades, several organizations have been established to help correct these problems. The Mermaids charity, for example, supports kids, teens and their families with gender identity topics. The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health focuses its attention on preventing HIV, mental well-being, routine care and cultural competency. The World Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, exists to provide advocacy, care and respect for trans patients.