Transgender Explored Blog

Coming to the UK - My Story

noreply@blogger.com (Transgender Explored) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:28:00 +0000

Hi all,

My name is Justine-Paula Robilliard, or rather that will be my name when I arrive in the UK at the very end of May 2010. I land at Heathrow early on Saturday 29 May 2010.

I am arriving from south africa (spelled with lower case, author's choice). I am 34 years today, I will be 35, yay, when I arrive, having turned 35 the day before I leave my flight to London.

I need bucket loads of advice on all things TS, I have a few friends helping me, and this is great... I have plenty to contribute. As regards hormones, I have been a bad girl, self medding and not sticking to a regular pattern of dose, changing hormones and messing around with doses.

I am not ready mentally for the move to the UK, this is a move born out of desperation, rather than a planned move, due to the horrendous cost of transition in the colony here... there is no help from the state, and the private route is so expensive, 3 years here pays for SRS in London, 5 years and you can SRS in Thailand.

The medications and blood tests are way too expensive, and forget doctors, they have no clue, and if you can find an endocrinologst that even knows of the endocrine system, good luck.

It seems that diabetes has become the goldmine of medical practice now, everyone is moving into diabetes control.. with the diets we have, very soon everyone here will be seeing a diabetes specialist (endocrinologist).

As for transhealth, good luck, self med is the only option, no one even cares, not a single GP even knows of Transhealth.

I hope this is a good intro into me. I have a lot more to say, and it will not be all moonbeans and pretty butterflies and red ladybirds!

Transition is brutal to body, mind, spirit, identity...

I love you all!

Justine-Paula Robilliard

Your Feedback Wanted!

noreply@blogger.com (Transgender Explored) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 11:56:00 +0000

This website has been up and running for ten months and it is still under construction. We would really appreciate your feedback about the site, both positive and negative. The site is constantly being updated, so if you are a regular visitor, or if this is just your first glimpse, please take the time to register your comments on this Blog. We would welcome all your views and will make every effort to respond to each comment and modify the site to meet your needs. Get involved and make a difference to this site - it is for you, after all!

Specialists - Shining or Shameful?

noreply@blogger.com (Transgender Explored) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:32:00 +0000

What are your experiences with meeting specialists in the field of gender identity disorder? What are the qualities of a good specialist? What are your experiences with different psychiatrists, hormone specialists, surgeons and therapists? Have you felt listened to and understood? Have your needs been met? If not, what went wrong and how could this have been avoided? Please share your experiences with us on this Blog.

Relationships and Gender Transition

noreply@blogger.com (Transgender Explored) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:31:00 +0000

For many people, the biggest challenge when seeking advice about gender change is how to manage existing relationships, particularly when in a long-term relationship, civil partnership or marriage.

Unfortunately the fear of relationships breaking down can delay or even prevent individuals from seeking professional help about their gender issues. This is a great shame as specialist gender services actively promote the view that they wish to see people as early as possible in order to offer support regarding gender change and the associated relationship difficulties.

A breakdown of a relationship can be a shattering experience for anyone, let alone someone dealing with gender dysphoria and facing potentially life-changing decisions. Can long-term relationships survive such massive changes? What are the secrets for sustaining personal relationships? What are the important factors that are likely to protect relationships through the stressful journey? If relationships are to survive and grow, what needs to happen?

Send us all your views, personal experiences and share your wisdom with us all!

Transgender in the Media - Books, TV and Films

noreply@blogger.com (Transgender Explored) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:38:00 +0000

As transsexualism is becoming increasingly understood, so is public awareness, largely helped by the interest from the media in terms of books, TV documentaries, reality shows and feature films. Have you seen something recently that has generated interest? Was it portrayed in a positive manner? Please let us know where you saw this, what your views are and how we can get to take a look ourselves!

Real Life Experience - Test or Torture?

noreply@blogger.com (Transgender Explored) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:11:00 +0000

It is surprising that there is very little research evidence supporting the use of the RLE, and there is very little information to back-up the time-frames specified, yet it remains an important component of treatment. Clinicians argue that it makes sense to allow the time to try to ensure that correct decisions are made but the RLE has attracted criticism from some of the transgender community.

More recent research by Lawrence (2001) studied a small number of post-operative transsexuals who underwent less that 12 months of RLE before surgery and found no evidence of regret.

"There is surprisingly little empirical evidence that a one year RLE, or indeed any RLE, is either necessary or a sufficient condition for achieving favourable outcome after sex reassignment surgery." (Anne Lawrence).

A review of the literature by Rachlin (2002) found that the incidence of post-operative regret is generally very small, perhaps only 1%, with no relation to the length of RLE prior to transition. Negative prognostic factors tend to be associated with psychological readiness and stability, poor emotional support and social isolation rather than to the RLE itself. However the specialist services argue that, without the RLE, many of these factors associated with poor outcome can remain hidden until too late and feel that the RLE is a central requirement to protect transsexuals in their decision-making.

What are your own experiences of the RLE? Do you think it is necessary? How long should it be? What helps and what hinders the RLE?

Please let us know your own views and personal experiences!

Myths about Transsexualism

noreply@blogger.com (Transgender Explored) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:11:00 +0000

Although transsexualism is becoming increasingly understood, there are still many misconceptions and false assumptions that only serve to create extra stress and confusion for all involved.

The Transgender Explored team have identified the most common myths below with a short explanation for each in an attempt to dispel some of the common misunderstandings.

Feel free to add more to this blog and together we can educate the uneducated!

Transsexualism is very rare.
Transsexualism is much more common than people think. Male to female transsexuals (MTF) generally outnumber female to male transsexuals (FTM) by about three to one, and the statistics vary. Current estimates are about 1 in 10,000 for biological males and 1 in 30,000 for biological females. Worldwide it may be as common as 1 in 5,000 people. In a city of 100,000 inhabitants, this could include as many as 20 transsexuals, if not more!

Transsexualism is a lifestyle choice.
Transsexuals do not choose to be transsexuals, just as noone can decide their own gender. Many believe this is determined at birth and is supported by an increasing body of evidence from research looking at biological causes, such as differences in the human brain and genetic factors. Many psychological causes have also been proposed and it is generally understood as multifactorial, that is, it has many different causes that vary from individual to individual. However these are out of the person's control and are not as simple as a lifestyle choice.

If you get sexually excited when cross-dressing, you can't be a true transsexual.
It is not uncommon for transsexuals to become sexually aroused when cross-dressing, particularly early on in life. It is often associated with strong feelings of things being right and so it is not surprising that, for some, it can be an invigorating experience. The main difference between a transsexual and a transvestite is a distinct one: it is not just about cross-dressing but is instead driven by a feeling that they belong to the opposite gender role.

Transvestites turn into transsexuals later on.
Transvestite people may cross-dress occasionally or may enjoy dressing up more regularly either in privacy or to socialize. Some even live full-time in female clothes, but they always retain their core gender identity as being male (in most cases) and do not wish to seek treatment to change their gender through hormones or surgery. However, for some transsexual individuals, being a transvestite may be the first step in accepting their own gender dysphoria. For these individuals, with support and time, they come to realize that they are actually transsexuals, but they represent a very small proportion of the transvestite population.

People's gender is either masculine or feminine. Transsexuals are confused between the two.
This is simply not true. Even for people who have clear gender identities, they are able to identify both masculine and feminine aspects to their personality. This is both genetically determined and modified by early life experiences, which makes each person unique. Transsexuals are exactly the same and will describe both masculine and feminine features to themselves, even if their true gender identity may not match their biological one.

Transsexuals are only found in the Western World.
Transsexual people exist all over the world with the highest prevalence being in Thailand and Brazil. Their existence dates back to early civilizations, with historical evidence showing that transsexuals in ancient Mediterranean, Indian and African tribes enjoyed high esteem as shamans, priests and sorcerers!

Transsexuals are gay.
Although, to a certain extent, there is some overlap between gender identity and sexual orientation, they are completely different concepts. Sexual orientation refers to a person's sexual attraction to men, women or both (or neither!) whereas gender identity is about an individual's sense of their own gender, whether that is male or female. Transsexuals may be attracted to men, women or both (or neither) and this is their own sexual preference and not related to their gender! Therefore transsexuals share the same feelings and choice with regard to their sexual orientation as the rest of the population.

Transsexualism is a mental illness.
Transsexualism is not a mental illness, although the symptoms related to gender dysphoria can predispose the individual to develop more serious emotional and mental health problems. Transsexualism is a medical condition and the diagnosis is controversial as, for some, it feels like the problem is being pathologized inappropriately. However it is generally accepted that the diagnosis serves the purpose of justifying medical and psychological treatments (and the development of specialist services) so it is essential to retain the diagnosis to ensure access to care.

Psychotherapy can cure transsexualism.
The current accepted and effective treatments for transsexualism include hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery. Although this will involve counselling and other psychotherapeutic approaches, the treatment of choice includes permanent physical changes, including cosmetic procedures, if appropriate. These treatments are supported by the significant reduction in gender dysphoria following treatment, with a very low rate of regret (less than 1%).

There is no help available in the UK under the NHS.
Transsexualism is recognized as a medical condition in the UK with specific treatments that involve hormone therapy and surgery. These are available for free under the NHS provided you are given the diagnosis and follow the Standards of Care. Similarly, in the United States, there is a similar health care system that, following diagnosis, allows access to the medical and psychological treatments. The rest of Europe shares this approach and has developed specialist services similar to what is available in the UK and the USA.

Transsexuals need to be living as the opposite gender before seeking help.
It is generally accepted that specialist gender services wish to see individuals as early as possible so that they can offer help to support people to make what is the right decision for them. Therefore they would prefer to see people with gender dysphoria before they have made any serious decisions and recommend that people are referred sooner rather than later. There is no expectation for people to have begun the transition before seeking help.

You need to have the right story to get treatment.
There is no such thing as the "right story"! Everyone is different and everyone's gender experience is unique to them. Transsexuals often share common experiences in terms of their own gender development, realizations about their gender issues and how this impacted on their lives. However there is no right or wrong answer to gender development and part of the assessment process is to allow individuals to understand their own experiences, rather than conform to what is the perceived expectation.

All transsexuals need to have gender reassignment surgey.
The specialist gender service has a clear role: to support individuals in finding out about their true gender identity and to help them make the right decision for them. For many, this can involve hormone treatment and surgery. For others, it may involve no change at all. As long as the individual feels comfortable with their decision, then the job is done! There is no expectation for people to accept any treatment that they are not happy with and they can take all the time they need to make up their mind!

Can you think of any more myths? Add more with your comments here!

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Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (Transgender Explored) — Fri, 23 May 2008 22:16:00 +0000

Welcome to the Transgender Explored Blog.
Feel free to add any comments, suggestions or personal experiences here. We welcome all contributions whilst we continue to construct the site!