Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyororin
I think the big reason I answered "individual basis" on this one was that there are indeed cases of true GID (Gender Identity Disorder) that are present from childhood and can be verified. There is no benefit in making people with the disorder "wait" - it will only bring on natural bodily changes that, well, cannot be reversed.
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Actually, there are several serious physical reasons for delaying the medical transition from one gender to the other.
I don't think I should go into the graphic detail, but the surgery performed for changing from male to female requires fully developed genitalia and if done to early in life the results will be far from desirable.
For females transitioning to male, the advantages of starting hormone therapy required is offset by the damage done over the years the hormone therapy is continued. The transition is more effective the earlier it is done, but the health risks of the drug increases the longer the person uses them. And those risk are not minor problems. The decision of when to begin is hard choice.
And personally, from my experience with F>M patients, they really need to be rather mature adults to handle the psychological side effects the initial hormone injections. If you know a woman with severe mood swings due to PMS, imagine it times 10 and then imagine it with the sexual drive of a 13 year old boy.