Gender Reassignment Process
Who is Transsexual ?
Transsexual is the word that is used for a person who was born with a biological sex that does not fit their gender identity, expression and/or presentation. A trans woman is a person who was assigned the male sex at birth but identifies as a woman, while a trans man is a person who was assigned the female sex at birth but identifies as a man.
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Reasons for Physical Transition
As the biological sex and gender identity of transgendered individuals are not in agreement, having physical features that do not reflect one’s gender identity and/or expression may lead to problems in their social life. These problems may be related to physical health, psychological health or both. Physical transition processes may help individuals adapt to their community, prevent sexually transmitted diseases and have a healthy social and sexual life.
What does transition involve ?
First Step
The first step of transition for each transgender individual (MTF and FTM) is visiting a psychiatrist to identify whether they are transgender or not.
Second Step
After psychiatric affirmation, the psychiatrist will prescribe hormone therapy, and the individual will have to be on hormone treatment for at least 6-12 months. Sometimes, a few surgeries in addition to the hormone therapy may help the process go faster.
Why should hormone therapy be provided ?
In trans men, hormone therapy is used to facilitate the formation of hair on different body parts generally expected for the male body. A change in one’s voice is also provided with this treatment. Hormone therapy provides clitoral enlargement.
In trans women, hormone therapy is used to facilitate the disappearance of hair on different body parts that are generally expected to have minimal to no hair regarding the female body. A change in one’s voice is also provided with this treatment. Hormone therapy provides feminine characteristics for the trans woman.
Third step
In this step, a committee that is called a gender identity council involving a psychiatrist, plastic surgeon, obstetrician, geneticist, endocrinologist and lawyer, is required to provide positive opinions. The first checks are carried out by the psychiatrist, followed by other doctors’ checks.
Fourth Step
Gender reassignment and body surgeries, which are different for trans men and trans women, are performed in this step.