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Critical appraisal of gender dysphoria
Critical appraisal of gender dysphoria
Gender dysphoria essay
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In today’s society humanity tends to be close-minded and judgmental; therefore, society often tends to justify or ridicule a persons choice of lifestyle. A delicate topic that isn’t addressed enough is Gender Dysphoria, also known as Gender Identity Disorder. Gender Dysphoria is a complicated term, but in essence, it’s a personal struggle to identify as a specific sex. Many issues have been brought to light when it comes to adolescents who battle with Gender Dysphoria, such as, body dysmorphia, mental health, and Sex Reassignment Surgery. Although they are not of age to make life-changing decisions, adolescents who struggle with the disorder should be able to consider the same alternatives that are offered to adults. Gender Dysphoria and Gender …show more content…
In the scholarly journal “Gender Dysphoria in Children” the author, Michelle Cretella, writes, “Zucker believes that gender-dysphoric pre-pubertal children are best served by helping them align their gender identity with their anatomic sex” (Cretella). She refers to a well-known doctor that goes by the name of Dr. Kenneth Zucker and conveys his opinions on letting the kids who are diagnosed with the disorder realign their gender to what they believe they are. Not only will this help the child, but the child should also get proper information from their physician and should be well informed (Cretella). Bryant, the author of the article “Gender Dysphoria," writes, “the level of controversy and debate increased, partly because of the work of transgender, intersex, and gay and lesbian social movements but also because of critiques made within the medical and mental health professions both by individuals and by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual (LGBT) professional organizations” (Bryant). Bryant outlines the controversy behind letting kids who are diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria, and he says the dispute derives from the doctor's opinions and the way they go …show more content…
Puberty Blockers is known to be used to slow down the process of puberty. This can be an additional way of helping adolescents with the disorder, and it can give the individual an extension to figure himself or herself out. Dr. Rob Garofalo, the director of the Lurie Children’s Hospital’s Gender and Sex Development Program, told FRONTLINE “They allow these families the opportunity to hit a pause button, to prevent natal puberty … until we know that that’s either the right or the wrong direction for their particular child” (Boghani). Fundamentally, puberty blockers provide adolescents more time to think about whether or not they want to go through with their
The medicalization of transgender tendencies, under what was Gender Identity Disorder, was demoralizing to all transgender people. This resulted in a form of structured and institutionalized inequality that made an entire group of people internalize their problems, making them question not only their own identity, but also their sanity. Therefore, the removal of this disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 2013 and the newest editions was important in that it shows society’s recognition and acceptance of the transgender
Overviewing our information, there is evidence of ethical wrongs and rights when considering sexual reassignment treatments for minors. Also, there are multiple options to choose from when transitioning and risks and gains that come with each. As we read from Dr. Kaufman and Dr. Beaver, the natural effects of puberty are irreversible while the effects of puberty blockers and hormones are reversible. Then from Dr. McHugh, gender dysphoria belongs in the family of similarly disordered assumptions about the body and should be treated in other ways than blockers, hormones, or
In conclusion, keeping Gender Dysphoria as a diagnosis aids the most vulnerable population in seeking treatment and care, options, protection, and guidance. As society and medicine moves forward, we may be able to steer away from mental health bias and general discrimination towards non-conformity, but for now it is important to protect the patients who are helped by the diagnosis. Gender Dysphoria currently allows patients to be treated under their insurance, have access to care, and fight for their
For most people, the idea of Transgenders is new and complicated. Because the idea is so fresh, many adults struggle with how to address this topic to the children because they lack knowledge
Puberty is a difficult time for any child, but for transgender teens, it can be the difference between becoming who they want to be or remaining in the wrong body. In June of this year, PBS Frontline released a documentary, entitled Growing Up Trans, which chronicled the lives of eight transgender and nonbinary children, from the ages of 9 to 19, as they navigated through the process of transitioning to their prefered genders. Some of the kids took hormone blockers to slow down their puberty, others were going through puberty at the time and wanted to transition before it was complete, and one had already gone through puberty and was still taking hormones to transition. The controversy revolving around the documentary focused on whether or
Gibson, B., & Catlin, A.J. (2011). Care of the Child with the Desire to Change Gender-Part 1.
I chose the topic of transgenderism. Transgender is when an individual tries to switch genders. Transgender comes from the Latin words trans, meaning “across.” Transgender literally means “across gender.” Many trans-individuals decided later on in their lives that they want to switch genders, and other people argue that they were born the wrong gender. Trans-people experience many difficulties throughout their lives. Switching genders makes their lives more challenging, because of many reasons. Their lives are more challenging because of their religion, whether or not they are accepted. The military is very strict, and will not accept trans individuals whatsoever. Insurance companies sometimes will not accept them as well. Trans people are not always accepted by certain occupations. Growing up in schools, trans people are all treated differently regarding to which bathroom/locker room to use. There is a huge debate whether or not trans students are even allowed to participate on sports teams, and if they are, which team to be on. Other obstacles such as birth certificates, passports, and driver’s licenses are all major issues as well. Trans people have to decide if they are willing to come forward, and say ‘This is who I am.’ But before trans-people can come out to other, they must come out to
"A lot of people see gender as very one-sided, girl or boy, but in reality, even the choices of one, the other, both, or neither just don't feel right.” Many people don’t realize that there are more gender identities than just “male” and “female.” In June 2016, The Williams Institute at UCLA estimated that about 1.4 million US adult’s genders don't align with the one they were assigned at birth. One can identify as the opposite gender from their assigned sex, as no gender, as both, or as a unique identity not so easily categorized.
Some strengths of the article would include the research and conclusions of sex reassignments found through scholarly “experts” such as the study found by Dr. Kranz. He asserts women identified as female gender to have the highest level of “diffusivity” then comes along female-to-male transsexuals, then male-to-female transsexuals, and finally the lowest of males whom identified as male gender. This research concluded that through transgender experience, there is a disparity between gender identity and physical sex where the brain is structured differently suggesting a neural basis existing on spectrum. With the range of gender identity, the research also concludes sexual orientation to be based on spectrum and thus controlling an extent of how changeable gender is and what extent one will go through to change their body and behavior to match a desired
Cohen-Kettenis, P. T., Schagen, S. E., Steensma, T. D., Vries, A. L., & Waal, H. A. (2011). Puberty Suppression in a Gender-Dysphoric Adolescent: A 22-Year Follow-Up. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40(4), 843-847.
The sex and gender binary is a socially-constructed classification of sex and gender into two distinct and biological forms of masculine and feminine. The binary is a restricting concept that enforces the ideology that solely two genders exist—it is a social boundary that limits people from exploring gender identity or mixing it up (Larkin, 2016). As Mann depicts it, the binary constrains us to take on one gender identity, and to follow through with the expected roles assigned to that gender. The implications are that it compels people to fit into the binary and follow the patriarchal, heteronormative traditions of society (Mann, 2012). However, the binary was not always so clear-cut, but certain concepts from scientific research such as the
One in every 2,000 babies born every year are neither male nor female, they are what is known as hermaphrodites. These children and their families are forced into a life of hardship and encounter many conflicts, which need to be addressed. Should the parents choose the assignment of the sex to a newborn child and subject them to a life of surgery and doctor visits? There are 100 to 200 pediatric surgical reassignments every year. Many of these children are subjected to doctor visits for the rest of their childhood. Worst of all, many of these children find themselves resembling or identifying with the gender opposite of that which their parents chose for them.
With so many different terms, it is hard to keep up with the language and understanding of the complex idea of Gender Identity Disorder. If “sex” is a biological term, and “gender” is a sociological term, and “gender identity” is an individual’s self-conception whether or not one's gender matches up with one’s biological sex, where do we draw the line? How can we determine whether or not a person’s gender identity matches their sex? The answer is not an easy one. Gender identity is personal; it is not something that anyone else can determine for you. Therefore it is not up to science or other to say whether or not an individual's gender identity equals their chromosomes and genitalia.
As a child grows and conforms to the world around them they go through various stages, one of the most important and detrimental stages in childhood development is gender identity. The development of the meaning of a child’s sex and gender can form the whole future of that child’s identity as a person. This decision whether accidental or genetic can effect that child’s life style views and social interactions for the rest of their lives. Ranging from making friends in school all the way to intimate relationships later on in life, gender identity can become an important aspect to ones future endeavors.
The relationship between sex and gender can be argued in many different lights. All of which complicated lights. Each individual beholds a sexual identity and a gender identity, with the argument of perceiving these identities however way they wish to perceive them. However, the impact of gender on our identities and on our bodies and how they play out is often taken for granted in various ways. Gender issues continue to be a hugely important topic within contemporary modern society. I intend to help the reader understand that femininities and masculinities is a social constructed concept and whether the binary categories of “male” and “female” are adequate concepts for understanding and organising contemporary social life with discussing the experiences of individuals and groups who have resisted these labels and forged new identities.