When the word ‘transgender’ enters a conversation, the word ‘different’ is not far behind. Ignorance and misconceptions are common, so we decided to speak to an expert.
“Transgender is an umbrella term,” Dr Chetna Jain, Director, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Gurgaon, said. She talked to us about the struggles and mental health issues that transgender people experience.
She added that they do not have a different anatomy than that of a heterosexual man or woman. When a baby is born as a boy or girl but identifies with another gender, they are referred to as transgender people. If a transgender person decides to change their sex to the gender they identify with, they are called trans-sexuals. But these terms, and other such words, are often confused with each other.
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Who Is A Trans-Man or Trans-Woman?
A trans-woman is a person who is born with the body of a male but identifies as a woman. A trans-man is a person who is born a female but identifies as a male. A transgender has a choice to opt for sex-change surgery.
However, irrespective of their choice, their identity depends on the gender they identify with. That’s why there is a difference between sex and gender. It is, therefore, always a good choice to ask a person their preferred pronouns rather than assuming based on how they look.
Dr Jain said, “Most transgender people know about their identity at a very young age. It could be as early as six or eight.”
By puberty most of them understand about their identity, or if they cannot relate to the sex they were born into.
Sex-Change Operation
Speaking in detail about sex-change operations, she said the process of changing from male to female is comparatively easier than transitioning from female to male. If a person wants to transition their body into a woman’s, the process takes 2-5 years. If a person wants to become a man in sexual identity, it takes 6-8 years.
In both cases, the process starts with psychological evaluation. Dr Jain said that since transitioning your body is a huge step, a psychologist ensures that the person would understand the complications. After confirmation, a person is given hormonal tablets for a year.
A trans-woman would be given anti-testosterone tablets so that facial hair can be reduced; the chest can start developing; and other male features can be toned down.
In the case of a trans-man, the person would be given testosterone tablets so they can grow a beard; chest size goes down; and other outer female features start receding.
Dr Jain said that it is also the time when doctors monitor the patient and see if they are consistent on tablets and regular meetings. A psychologist, psychiatrist and a team of doctors who would do the sex-change surgery get involved around the time for regular check-ups.
She added that since a person decides to change their identity, many leave their family, friends, and cities to settle in a place where they can build their new identity. They want to avoid being bullied or hurled abuses at.
Dr Jain said the surgery alone might cost between ₹2-4 lakh, but the entire process of years of hormonal injections, medicines, and doctor’s appointments before and after the transition can cost between ₹8-10 lakh.
Struggles At Puberty Experienced By Transgender Teenagers
Puberty is a struggle for any adolescent kid. For transgender teenagers, it is an internal as well as external struggle. For example, if someone is born into the male sex but identifies as a girl, they would get conscious aboutfacial hair, male genitalia, flat chest, and other features that a boy starts developing as soon as they hit puberty. And the reverse would be true for someone else.
Dr Jain said that a person cannot change their sex unless they are 18. Before that age, their parents and guardians have the right to make the decision. Therefore, many people live in a dilemma that their body does not match their identity. She said that the average age of those undergoing sex-change is 30 in the US, as per a study bythe National Institutes of Health).
She shared a few incidents where a trans-man is married off to another man by their parents and family because they look like a woman. In such cases, the person either runs away, separates, or divorces their ‘spouse’. They would earn their living and get a consultation for sex change when they have got enough money.
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Mental Health Issues Experienced By Transgender People
“Many kids struggle to make friends,” said Dr Jain. A transgender person would like to make friends with people of the gender they identify with. But since their body looks different, they struggle.
Kids also start behaving as per the gender they identify with. For example, a trans-woman would start dressing like a female or use pronouns that different languages have for women, while the world sees them as a boy or man.
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In such cases, the children are often picked on by other kids, bullied, joked about, laughed at, and whatnot. While speaking about the treatment of transgender folks by healthcare experts in India, Dr Jain said that doctors usually do not discriminate between people and treat everyone equally. However, she added that the treatment can also depend on the mindset of a doctor and how aware they are about the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
Many times, transgender kids start isolating themselves and struggle with anger, anxiety, and depression (How To Help Someone Struggling With Depression). Dr Jain said that India is yet to see more and more people coming out. Since society lacks awareness, especially in rural parts, many transgender people do not feel safe expressing their identity and are struggling.
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