Intro to Sex Reassignment, and More

‘I’ve come to hate my body and all it requires in this world’ as the song Candy Says goes. But little people know nowadays that Candy Says was dedicated to a real person, who was Lou Reed’s, the Velvet Underground’s vocalist, lover for some time.  But what is more amazing is Rachel, Lou’s muse, is a transsexual or a male that has been reassigned as a female.

What is a Transsexual or a Sex Reassignment

The procedure that reassigns sex whether from male to female or female to male is common nowadays. It is consist of multiple surgeries that start with thourough evaluations on hormonal, psychiatric, and psychotherapy aspects of a person. The surgery involves genital surgery, breast surgery, feminization of the face as well as the voice.

Why Many Opt For Sex Reassignment

Often this confusion happens and is called a gender dysphoria. Some country may be open to the process and these thoughts but some are not. People who had the confusion may be opting to have the reassignment while some may only get counseling and hormone therapy.

Many who had clearly decided on the process are really determined as the surgery is irreversible. Gender dysphoria is often experienced by 1 in 11,500 persons as the study of National Health Services in United Kingdom.

Basically the choice is based on the overall feeling of a person and the gender role that they wish to achieve in the process. Having the disorder of not being comfortable on your original sex is sometimes stopping them from achieving what they should have been achieving.

Famous People Who Had the Sex Reassignment

Successful sex reassignment has been performed way back in the 1970’s. Her name is Renee Richards an author and a tennis player. She had her operation in 1975 after having a son before that.

Another famous transsexual is Anna Grodzka, a member of Poland’s parliament. It was a move for Poland’s liberalism. Chastity Bonno should also get a mention here. She was once a “her” but had the reassignment to become a male. Bonno is the daughter of the famous Cher and Sonny. So Chastity is an LGBT rights advocate and a musician.

In Australia, Karen Taylor the famous drag queen is one of the well known transsexuals. Courtney Act, an Australian Idol semi finalist also is also a transgendered person and has become famous for it with her awesome voice.

What Happens During the Surgery

So let’s focus here on the male to female reassignment. The multiple surgeries first involve the removal of the sex organ which is the testes and the penis. After the removal, the operation on feminization happens wherein the internal and the external female sex organs are being created.

The removal of the testicles is called the orchiectomy while the removal of the penis is called the penectomy. The creation of the female sex organ is using the skin and tissue that is being removed from the penis. More often the penectomy and the female sex organ creation are done in one operation though you may have a choice for that. The creation is called medically as the vaginoplasty, the labiaplasty and the clitoplasty.

After the focus on the genitals, everything will shift on other surgeries. These include the surgery on the breasts, the feminization of the face, and the voice surgery.

Before the surgery, a hormone therapy should be religiously done. It should be together with all other evaluation and emotional therapy to prepare yourself more for the procedure.

The surgery is estimated to cost up to $30,000 (AUD) in Australia. But this would depend on your surgeon and clinic choice.

How to Avoid Complications

The sex reassignment is a sensitive operation. It needs the best care before, during and after the operation. The best way to avoid risks and complication is to first choose a doctor that is already experienced in the procedure. The best way to know it is to check for past clients. Do some research and be well informed in the topic.

A good and successful procedure will render you the best possible benefits. It would include the things on emotional and physical aspects. Achieving the gender and the gender role that you really deem to fit you is like a gift like no other.

To live life to the fullest, regardless of gender and sex is best thing that society can achieve. Any thoughts on this topic?