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Transsexualism

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Title: Transsexualism


1
Transsexualism
  • Kari Whitaker
  • Human Sexuality
  • Dr. Paul Young
  • 4-16-98

2
Definitions of Transsexualism
  • There is general agreement that transsexualism
    occurs when a person strongly believes that they
    belong to the opposite sex.
  • This is typically a lifelong feeling and results
    in varied degrees of physical/external changes
  • There is also some debate around what
    transsexualism should be named.

3
Different Names for Transsexualism
  • just a condition
  • a phenomenon
  • a mental disorder
  • a neuroendocrine disorder
  • gender identity disorder
  • a pathological disorder

4
Transsexual vs. Transgendered
  • Transsexuals
  • people who have had partial or total sex-change
    surgery or who take hormones in order to change
    their physical appearance
  • Transgendered
  • people who live as the opposite sex without any
    alterations of their physical appearance through
    hormones or sex-change surgery

5
Historical Background
  • Transsexualism was not recognized in the medical
    field until 1853.
  • 1949 - termed psychopathia transsexualis by
    Cauldwell
  • 1966 - Benjamin published The Transsexual
    Phenomenon
  • deemed it incurable
  • only treatment - sex reassignment surgery
  • his patients were among the his most miserable

6
More Historical Background
  • 1980 - DSM first defined transsexualism as an
    illness

7
Diagnosis (DSM-IV diagnostic criteria)
  • A strong and persistent cross-gender
    identification
  • Persistent discomfort with their assigned natal
    sex and its associated gender role
  • Absence of any physical intersex condition
  • Clinically significant distress or impairment of
    social or occupational functioning.

8
Prevalence
  • not common and exact prevalence is unclear
  • Estimations
  • one in 700 people affected
  • 10 times more common in men
  • .025 of American population call themselves
    transsexual
  • vast majority are in the West
  • occurs in both heterosexual and homosexual
    individuals

9
Etiology
  • There has been much debate as to the cause of
    transsexualism
  • Ellis - sex assignment and rearing responsible
  • Money, Hampson and Hampson - socialization rather
    than birth is responsible
  • Stoller - found little evidence of genetic causes

10
More Etiology
  • Kallman et.al. - found strong genetic and
    biological components to be involved
  • Environment Theory
  • Transsexualism is developed through four stages
    throughout life
  • 1. Same - different comparing
  • 2. Self testing and niche searching
  • 3. Decision making and mental switching
  • 4. Decision actuating and physical switching

11
Treatment
  • Purpose to help patients achieve their goal
    rather than attempt to change their identity
  • A common treatment is called Sex Reassignment
    Surgery (SRS) however, there are guidelines that
    are to be followed if this is the route taken.

12
Guidelines for SRS
  • The patient must first undergo the Real Life Test
    (RLT)
  • The patient lives and works as the new sex for
    a year in order to learn how to survive
  • The patient also begins to take hormones to alter
    body chemistry

13
Sex Reassignment Surgery
  • The procedure itself takes between four and five
    hours
  • The health, fitness, hygiene and age of the
    patient are key factors in the success of the
    surgery
  • There are different procedures involved in the
    surgery depending on whether a male is
    reassigning to female or a female is reassigning
    to male.

14
For Male to Female Transsexuals
  • vaginoplasty (construction of a vagina)
  • penectomy (removal of the penis)
  • orchidectomy (removal of the testes)
  • clitoroplasty (construction of a clitoris)
  • breast augmentation (breast enlargement)
  • rhinoplasty (reshaping the nose)
  • hair transplants and face remodeling

15
For Female to Male Transsexuals
  • hysterectomy (removal of the uterus)
  • oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries)
  • bilateral mastectomy (removal of the breasts)
  • phalloplasty (construction of a penis)

16
Hormone Treatment Method
  • Hormones are manufactured and controlled by the
    endocrine system
  • They are chemical messengers to the body
  • Artificial hormones may be given to patients to
    produce desired effects
  • Sometime there are also a few undesired effects.
  • The hormones have different effects for different
    patients

17
Male to Female Hormone Effects
  • Fertility decreases
  • Male sex drive decreases
  • Breast size increases
  • Fat is redistributed
  • Body hair growth decreases
  • Muscle tone may decrease
  • Oil and sweat glands become less active
  • Metabolism decreases

18
More M2F Hormone Effects
  • Fingernails become brittle
  • Body odors change
  • Female sex drive increases

19
Female to Male Hormone Effects
  • Vocal cords thicken
  • Fertility decreases
  • Clitoris elongates
  • Body and facial hair increase
  • Male pattern baldness may set in
  • Oil and sweat glands may set in

20
More on Hormones
  • Hormones have never been proven to alter any of
    the following
  • strength
  • size
  • fat
  • heart
  • blood
  • body frame

21
Social Issues
  • With any change in physical appearance, whether
    by SRS or hormones, there are bound to be social
    issues that arise.
  • For example
  • the need for a support group
  • facing employment discrimination
  • facing rejection from family and friends
  • beginning new relationships in the community
  • attempting to live a fulfilling life

22
Ethical Issues
  • With any medical proceedings, there are ethical
    considerations
  • There are three main duties of the psychologist
    that they are required to fulfill
  • identify clearly the client and their rights
  • never cause any harm to the client whether
    actively or passively
  • show sensible regard for moral and legal standards

23
Myths about Transsexualism
  • A transsexual is a male homosexual
  • Transsexualism is not a matter of homosexuality
    but rather one of gender identification
  • A transsexual is a transvestite
  • A transvestite typically only dresses similar to
    the opposite sex to fulfill a fetish but still
    remains true to their original gender identity

24
More Myths
  • A transsexual is created by cutting of the
    penis and replacing it with a constructed vagina
  • Typically, the only parts that are removed are
    the testes and the inner tissue of the penis.
    ALL of the other tissue is used to construct
    female genitalia.

25
Final Words
  • There is much debate over what a transsexual
    really is and what different treatments there
    are.
  • It is important to remember that before making
    any hasty decisions about transsexuals, one needs
    to do extensive research into the subject
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