boyinakage
from chaos comes clarity
what are the requirements for gender reassignment?
genderfor those of you who read my blog all the time, it's no shock that someday i will be able to post pictures comparing my body now and what i will look like once my surgeries are done.
but let's be educational today (more-so than normal).
What are the requirements for me to have GRS/SRS (gender/sexual reassignment surgery)?
I'm a big fan of How Stuff Works.com...so I will be using some guidelines from there in my blog today.
There are five steps for the person who is transsexual and seeking GRS:
1. diagnostic assessment
2. psychotherapy
3. real-life experience
4. hormones
and finally
5. surgery
before anything can happen, one must first be diagnosed with GID (gender identity disorder). unfortunately in america, transsexualism is considered a mental disorder...not a physical deformity.
there are in fact several types of GID:
1. Transsexualism (that's me)
2. Dual-role transvestitism
3. GID of Childhood
4. Other GIDs
5. Unspecified GID
Transsexualism (in everyday terms): When an individual has symptoms of transsexuality including but not limited to: wanting to be perceived as the opposite gender from their biological make-up, (i.e.- male to female, female to male) wanting to seek hormone therapy and surgery to make the body match the mind. But the symptoms cannot be part of another disorder or chromosomal abnormality...and the transsexual identity must be persistent at least 2 years. (because remember, GRS/SRS is irreversible and life-changing).
Dual-Role Transvestitism is diagnosed when the patient is for lack of less than crude terminology: a cross-dresser, quite simply put. They may enjoy presenting as the opposite of their biological sex for part of the time...but desire no physical change to the other gender.
hormone therapy but the breast augmentation and/or chest reconstruction may be part of the real-life test.
In my case, I haven't even gone through the first treatment step...i will begin this very soon...(Aug 23rd is my first counselor appointment).
And the bad news is...the entire surgery process costs about $77,000. In other words, I better have plenty of benefits to defer my costs, lol.
In addition to everything else, the mental health professional will assess (on an individual basis) what treatment is needed (aka hormones/surgery). No two GID patients are identical and the hormone treatment is based on a need for it individually. So, let's say that Frank and I are both FtM transsexuals on the same level. We have both been diagnosed with GID. Frank may need a higher dosage of testosterone and I may not need very much at all (I sure hope that's not the case, though).
But before even hormone therapy can begin in a patient's treatment, the mental health professional must first write a letter of recommendation (this is the letter you may hear me discuss from time to time) to a physician providing medical treatment.
And in order to receive the letter, patients must:
1. be 18+ years of age
2. understand what hormones can/can't do medically, risks, and drawbacks
3.have either 3 months of psychotherapy/assessment or in some cases,3 months of real-life experience
4.show stable and improved mental health
5.demonstrate the ability to take hormones properly and responsibly (correct dosages, etc)
after this is all assessed, the individual must undergo a physical and then will be prescribed hormones. (yay, i want to get here soon)
Androgens are what I would get...as opposed to the estrogen, progesterone and testosterone-blockers that are prescribed to transwomen.
Now hormones are available in 3 types: pills, injectables (or, The "T Shot") and transdermals (or, The "T Patch").
What can I expect from T?
-an increase in facial hair, body hair and male pattern baldness
-weight gain
-increased sexual interest
-clitoral enlargement and a deepening voice.
The negative side effects include, but are not limited to: infertility, acne, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and the increased potential of benign and malignant liver tumors
(all that being said, i think i will take it)
So on to the real-life experience:
After all preliminary steps are taken, I will need to undergo the Real Life Test. I'm required to:
- Maintain a full-time or part-time employment and/or school
- legally change my name to a gender-appropriate one (Kage Jonas!!!)
- prove that others at work/in personal life that I am to be perceived as male (prove to my doctors, that is)
after 12 continuous months of the test (i'm coming up on a year of this outside of treatment...so what's another year, right?), then i would become eligible for genital surgery.
Now this is where I stop with my treatment at this point. I do not believe I need to undergo genital reassignment. To me, I would rather maintain all of my sensations and whatnot without needing to risk losing that part of me...sex is a huge deal for me...simply put. Besides, what is in my pants is not the business of anyone besides my doctors, myself and my partner (aka SJ).
Genital surgery may include (for me):
hysterectomy (yes, please!), salpingo-oophorectomy (yes, please), vaginoplasty (no, i'm good), metoidoplasty, scrotoplasty, testicular prosthesis and phalloplasty.
The first two would remove my internal "lady bits"...the uterus, ovaries and the like are history after the hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy. The rest, no thanks for right now, i'm okay.
as far as the vaginoplasty...i will not be removing that, thank you.
however, I may elect for metoidoplasty if i can do so without a vaginectomy. Aka, the enlarged clitoris (jeez this is all so squishy and icky-sounding...isn't it? lol) is freed from the "lips" and moved forward to the position of a penis. Depending on hormones, it may grow to be rather large like a small penis.
as far as the fake testes and penis and/or penis implant: that's not what i want as of right now. I cannot afford it, nor do I want the complications/risks involved.
cosmetically, i could undergo many reconstructive surgeries and/or liposuction to make myself appear more male. if i work out more often (which i will) once I'm on T, i can greatly reduce the need for liposuction in my butt and hips and perhaps even my chest.
but i figured, hey, if i'm already getting them lopped off...why not have a stomach to match...and while we're at it, why not hips and butt? maybe. it all depends on what my insurance will cover/ help with once i get it.
now as far as afterwards, legally i will be able to change my name.
(i can do this before surgery, however).
at this time, my marriage to anyone who is female is illegal. the birth sex of the transsexual is not allowed to be the same as the current sex of the person he/she wishes to marry. I.e- the state of ohio would not recognize my marriage to SJ because I would be a former female...legally making us a homosexual couple (*cough* bullshit *cough*)
anyway, this is just what's ahead in the future for me. One step at a time.
kage jonas
in most states, i fill out a form, publish it in the paper, pay a fee and it's all done. then, i can get my social security card and birth certificate changed to male and my new name.
and here's some great news: in most states, homosexual marriage is illegal...however, as a transsexual...i could be legally married. that's wonderful.
but let's be educational today (more-so than normal).
What are the requirements for me to have GRS/SRS (gender/sexual reassignment surgery)?
I'm a big fan of How Stuff Works.com...so I will be using some guidelines from there in my blog today.
There are five steps for the person who is transsexual and seeking GRS:
1. diagnostic assessment
2. psychotherapy
3. real-life experience
4. hormones
and finally
5. surgery
before anything can happen, one must first be diagnosed with GID (gender identity disorder). unfortunately in america, transsexualism is considered a mental disorder...not a physical deformity.
there are in fact several types of GID:
1. Transsexualism (that's me)
2. Dual-role transvestitism
3. GID of Childhood
4. Other GIDs
5. Unspecified GID
Transsexualism (in everyday terms): When an individual has symptoms of transsexuality including but not limited to: wanting to be perceived as the opposite gender from their biological make-up, (i.e.- male to female, female to male) wanting to seek hormone therapy and surgery to make the body match the mind. But the symptoms cannot be part of another disorder or chromosomal abnormality...and the transsexual identity must be persistent at least 2 years. (because remember, GRS/SRS is irreversible and life-changing).
Dual-Role Transvestitism is diagnosed when the patient is for lack of less than crude terminology: a cross-dresser, quite simply put. They may enjoy presenting as the opposite of their biological sex for part of the time...but desire no physical change to the other gender.
Prospective candidates for gender reassignment surgery must have a mental health professional who provides counsel about treatment options and implications as well as therapy and education for the individual, his or her family and employers.
After a diagnosis, there are three phases left to complete in the process:
- Hormone therapy
- Real-Life Experience, (aka the Real-Life Test)
- Surgery to change genitalia and other sex characteristics
hormone therapy but the breast augmentation and/or chest reconstruction may be part of the real-life test.
In my case, I haven't even gone through the first treatment step...i will begin this very soon...(Aug 23rd is my first counselor appointment).
And the bad news is...the entire surgery process costs about $77,000. In other words, I better have plenty of benefits to defer my costs, lol.
In addition to everything else, the mental health professional will assess (on an individual basis) what treatment is needed (aka hormones/surgery). No two GID patients are identical and the hormone treatment is based on a need for it individually. So, let's say that Frank and I are both FtM transsexuals on the same level. We have both been diagnosed with GID. Frank may need a higher dosage of testosterone and I may not need very much at all (I sure hope that's not the case, though).
But before even hormone therapy can begin in a patient's treatment, the mental health professional must first write a letter of recommendation (this is the letter you may hear me discuss from time to time) to a physician providing medical treatment.
And in order to receive the letter, patients must:
1. be 18+ years of age
2. understand what hormones can/can't do medically, risks, and drawbacks
3.have either 3 months of psychotherapy/assessment or in some cases,3 months of real-life experience
4.show stable and improved mental health
5.demonstrate the ability to take hormones properly and responsibly (correct dosages, etc)
after this is all assessed, the individual must undergo a physical and then will be prescribed hormones. (yay, i want to get here soon)
Androgens are what I would get...as opposed to the estrogen, progesterone and testosterone-blockers that are prescribed to transwomen.
Now hormones are available in 3 types: pills, injectables (or, The "T Shot") and transdermals (or, The "T Patch").
What can I expect from T?
-an increase in facial hair, body hair and male pattern baldness
-weight gain
-increased sexual interest
-clitoral enlargement and a deepening voice.
The negative side effects include, but are not limited to: infertility, acne, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and the increased potential of benign and malignant liver tumors
(all that being said, i think i will take it)
So on to the real-life experience:
After all preliminary steps are taken, I will need to undergo the Real Life Test. I'm required to:
- Maintain a full-time or part-time employment and/or school
- legally change my name to a gender-appropriate one (Kage Jonas!!!)
- prove that others at work/in personal life that I am to be perceived as male (prove to my doctors, that is)
after 12 continuous months of the test (i'm coming up on a year of this outside of treatment...so what's another year, right?), then i would become eligible for genital surgery.
Now this is where I stop with my treatment at this point. I do not believe I need to undergo genital reassignment. To me, I would rather maintain all of my sensations and whatnot without needing to risk losing that part of me...sex is a huge deal for me...simply put. Besides, what is in my pants is not the business of anyone besides my doctors, myself and my partner (aka SJ).
Genital surgery may include (for me):
hysterectomy (yes, please!), salpingo-oophorectomy (yes, please), vaginoplasty (no, i'm good), metoidoplasty, scrotoplasty, testicular prosthesis and phalloplasty.
The first two would remove my internal "lady bits"...the uterus, ovaries and the like are history after the hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy. The rest, no thanks for right now, i'm okay.
as far as the vaginoplasty...i will not be removing that, thank you.
however, I may elect for metoidoplasty if i can do so without a vaginectomy. Aka, the enlarged clitoris (jeez this is all so squishy and icky-sounding...isn't it? lol) is freed from the "lips" and moved forward to the position of a penis. Depending on hormones, it may grow to be rather large like a small penis.
as far as the fake testes and penis and/or penis implant: that's not what i want as of right now. I cannot afford it, nor do I want the complications/risks involved.
cosmetically, i could undergo many reconstructive surgeries and/or liposuction to make myself appear more male. if i work out more often (which i will) once I'm on T, i can greatly reduce the need for liposuction in my butt and hips and perhaps even my chest.
but i figured, hey, if i'm already getting them lopped off...why not have a stomach to match...and while we're at it, why not hips and butt? maybe. it all depends on what my insurance will cover/ help with once i get it.
now as far as afterwards, legally i will be able to change my name.
(i can do this before surgery, however).
at this time, my marriage to anyone who is female is illegal. the birth sex of the transsexual is not allowed to be the same as the current sex of the person he/she wishes to marry. I.e- the state of ohio would not recognize my marriage to SJ because I would be a former female...legally making us a homosexual couple (*cough* bullshit *cough*)
anyway, this is just what's ahead in the future for me. One step at a time.
kage jonas
in most states, i fill out a form, publish it in the paper, pay a fee and it's all done. then, i can get my social security card and birth certificate changed to male and my new name.
and here's some great news: in most states, homosexual marriage is illegal...however, as a transsexual...i could be legally married. that's wonderful.
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