As an umbrella term, the word transgender implies that an individual expresses his/her/their gender differently than his/her/their assigned gender at birth. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5), a transgender individual has a disorder known as gender dysphoria, which entails extreme discomfort accompanied by a range of negative feelings when an individual’s physical appearance does not match the way they feel internally.

In order to alleviate the symptoms associated with gender dysphoria, individuals often undergo a range of different surgeries as well as taking hormone therapy and estrogen or testosterone blockers. In addition to these measures, individuals often pursue counseling as well as participate in support groups.

Many transgender individuals do not pursue hormone therapy as well as surgeries, but simply feel they are a certain gender despite the biological reality. An individual’s gender may be more of a state of mind, and may even be interchangeable — with an individual’s gender identity or expression alternating from male to female on a daily basis.

As to the physical changes an individual makes to their body in order to appear more like their preferred gender, many eventually undergo sex-reassignment surgery in the final stages of their transition. However, not all transgender individuals find it necessary to have this type of procedure.

Fortunately, society’s awareness and knowledge of transgender people has greatly improved in recent years. Many social media platforms have begun providing users with an array of gender identity options, as Facebook added more than 50 custom gender options in 2014 for those who do not identify as male or female.

qnotes met up with Octavia Moore, a transgender woman who began her transition of more than 15 years ago.

Moore said she always knew that she was not a man from a very early age.

“Both I and family knew that I wasn’t a boy from the time I was knee-high to a grasshopper,” said Moore. “I loved wearing dresses and sashaying around in my mother’s high-heel shoes.”

While Moore always knew that she did not feel like a man, she said she did not make the decision to transition until she went to college. A close friend of Moore’s encouraged her to transition and took her on her first shopping trip to purchase a more fitting wardrobe.

“While I hadn’t begun taking hormones yet and had very little breast tissue, the feeling I felt when I put on a bra for the first time was monumental,” Moore said. “Who knew a single article of clothing could produce such an amazing feeling.”

Upon making the decision to transition, Moore began taking hormone therapy as well as testosterone blockers, which in time, altered Moore’s body providing her with a more feminine and curvaceous frame as well as breast tissue. The combination of hormones and testosterone blockers also greatly reduced Moore’s body and facial hair and also softened her voice.

“After being on hormones for a few years, I started looking a lot more feminine,” Moore said. “I never really had a lot of body hair, but the hormones and T-blockers really helped to reduce the growth of my facial hair. The muscles in my arms softened up, my waist got smaller, and my hips got wider.”

Many individuals presume that the majority of transgender individuals have a desire to undergo sex-reassignment surgery. However, according to Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), “sex-reassignment surgery, also called gender confirmation surgery (GCS), is only one small part of the transition.”

“Not all transgender people choose to, or can afford to, undergo medical surgeries,” GLAAD said.

GLAAD also advises journalists to avoid overemphasizing the role of surgeries in the transition process.

For Moore, having male genitalia does not cause her to experience any type of distress or discomfort, and said it doesn’t detract from her identity of being a transgender woman.

“Being a woman isn’t all about looking the part,” said Moore. “While I do enjoy having a more feminine appearance, I don’t find it necessary to have surgeries in order to feel like a girl.”

Moore said she’s thought about having breast augmentation surgery, but due to her being a diabetic, she decided against it in the end. She also said that she’s fairly satisfied with the size of her breasts and knows plenty of cisgender girls who have smaller cup sizes.

“Breasts nor any other part of my body make me any more or any less of a woman,” Moore said. “For me, it’s more about how I feel on the inside, regardless of how I look on the outside.”

When asked about her thoughts on sex-reassignment surgery, Moore replied, “it’s never even crossed my mind.”

“For one, the surgery is so expensive, most middle-class people, like me, can’t afford it,” said Moore. “And, more importantly, there are so many possible complications that can arise after someone undergoes the operation.”

Whether it’s breast augmentation for a transgender female or a double mastectomy, known as top surgery, for a transgender male, the path a transgender individual takes to alleviate their symptoms of gender dysphoria varies greatly from person to person. While many individuals undergo numerous surgeries and procedures to aid in the alignment of their bodies with their gender, a large percentage of the transgender population choose not to make any type of alterations to their bodies at all.

The post The choice to make physical changes for transgender individuals varies appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

It all started three years ago when Dipan Chakraborty visited SRS Solutions Kolkata at Agarpara that provides medical-legal services to transgender individuals. It was there he met Tista Das.

Das is a transwoman, who is also a consultant and guide at the centre, and both of them immediately connected. It was first a friendship, which later developed into a love story during Dipan’s sex reassignment surgery (SRS).

Sex reassignment surgery is a surgical procedure by which a transgender person’s physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble the gender they want to change into.

Taking their relationship further, the duo announced their engagement through a social networking site on April 15 (National Transgender Day of Visibility) and are all set to tie the knot on August 5.

Chakraborty who hails from Lumding, Assam, got done with the sex reassignment surgery in February 2019 and is currently waiting for a few official documents.

“For me, the post-surgery period was smooth, thanks to Tista, who took good care of me. As of now we are waiting for my voter ID and changes in the other documents to notify court for a registry marriage,” said the 40-year-old, who works at a pharmaceutical firm as a brand executive.

The preparations for the marriage is in full swing and Das has already designed their wedding card.

Talking about his relationship, Chakraborty told the Times Of India, “Tista is an amazing human being. We used to talk over phone while my SRS process was on and I found a friend in her. Our way of thinking matched and last year I proposed to her to which she said yes.”

Chakraborty was in an unhappy relationship and it was Das, who came to his rescue. “I had come to Kolkata in 2016 for the girl I loved. But I soon realised it was not working. It was Tista who helped me out,” said 40-year-old Chakraborty.

“I liked him the day I met him. He was emotionally dependent on me because of his troubled relationship. His caring nature made me fall in love with him,” 38-year-old Das told TOI.

Like other transgenders, it was not an easy journey for the duo. Chakraborty, was born biologically female and Das was born biologically male.

Dipan’s family has not been able to accept his new identity. “My family never acknowledged or felt that I was a man inside a woman’s body. They would not let me dress up like a boy. I went into depression and wanted to hide myself from the world,” said Chakraborty, who had to shell out Rs 4 lakhs for the surgery.

“First it was difficult to convince my parents and then arranging Rs 2.5 lakh for it was another tough job. To top it all, the doctors in Kolkata too rejected my plea for a surgery,” Das said.

Das’s mom is equally thrilled for her daughter and son-in-law. “Dipan is a nice person. I am happy Tista has chosen someone like him,” said her mother. Das has also worked in an award-winning documentary called I Couldn’t Be Your Son, Mom which was directed by Sohini Dasgupta, who is transgender and animal rights activist.

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