How can anyone be certain that they were the bad female from birth? What ought families to do if their kid tells them? If trans patients choose to undergo gender-affirming surgery, how do they make for it?
Maurice Garcia, a pioneer in gender-affirming procedure and the chairman of the Cedars- Sinai Transgender Surgery and Health Program, was seated in the Newsroom on November 13–19, 2023, to discuss the issues that are most often brought up in relation to transsexual health and medicine.
According to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau starting in 2021, more than 1.7 million Americans identify as transgender, a sex that differs from their biological sex at birth.
Garcia has spent 20 years providing care for transgender patients. Garcia is a prosthetic urologic physician and associate professor of Urology at Cedars-Sina. In 2017, he launched the medical facility’s Transgender Surgery and Health Program. He offers reproductive reconstructive surgery to both men and women who are transgender.
What services are available to transgender individuals at Cedars-Sinai?
Comprehensive transgender medicine primary care, gender-affirming hormone management, HIV treatment, and gender affirming surgery ( facial, chest, genital ) are all available at Cedars-Sina. It is one of the single four scientific health facilities in the Western United States that provide gender-affirming genital surgery from male to female and female to male, and we also provide a variety of other therapies to meet the needs of our patients. In addition to additional support services, our specialists provide vocal cord and speech therapy, fertility protection, mental health and psychotherapy solutions. Our LGBTQ+ Center, which opened earlier this year, is an inclusive facility with experts in primary care, medicine, trans surgical, reconstructive surgeries, and cancer screening. Everyone should be accorded respect and dignity, especially in the dentist’s office.
How and when does one become aware that they are trans?
Being trans happens effortlessly. Just as no one ever determines whether they are a boy or girl, nobody actually declares themselves to be transgender. Simply put, everyone is aware of who they are. The identity of a gay person usually matches their body’s sex, whether it be male or female. Transgender people are aware that they feel and know they are a girl, woman, or boy, and that their bodies do not reflect or coincide with this. Gender and sex are two very distinct and distinct concepts. Gender is purely a sense of” self,” whereas “biological sex” is about the male or female characteristics of the body that are natural and visible. It can only be felt and expressed; it cannot be seen or measured. No one really gets to choose their masculinity when it comes to sex. Recognizing it is typically a part of growing up for most people.
Gender is varied and on the range. A “nonbinary” child’s sex falls somewhere in the middle of the gender spectrum, whereas the majority of people are much more on the man or woman end.
Children recognize their gender identity and knowthey are a boy or girl by age 2 or 3. In 2020, my group published a Cedars-Sinai study that found that gender dysphoria, or distress that a person experiences from living in a body that doesn’t align with their gender, can start as early as age 3.
A person who is going through a gender transition is just someone who has suddenly come over to themselves and/or people and wants to live their lifestyle as they truly are.
What information does trans young people’s kids be aware of?
Particularly important is parental participation and assistance of their transgender and gender-difference children and teens. Without a welcoming home and social setting, the female change can be challenging and depressed. It’s crucial for parents to listen to their kids and make sure they understand how much they mean to them and that their parents —or parents, if that makes sense—are it for them. To learn how to be as good as possible for their child, parents should think about getting in touch with a professional who specializes in this field of guidance and support. Understanding one’s real self is the first step in the female change, followed by learning how to survive it. Some kids gain from a brief coaching session. While menstruation can be difficult for all younger people, transgender children may find it particularly difficult. Primary care physicians and counseling can offer a variety of age-appropriate care options. The Pediatric and Adolescent Gender Wellness Clinic at Cedars Sinai treats people and provides family support services. It’s critical to understand that once people start living their lives as themselves, regardless of age, they start to prosper.
How do people realize when they are prepared for procedure, and how do you, as their doctor, realize this?
Every transgender person must decide if or when the time is right for them to take that step. It’s important that they first speak with a surgeon who can give them unbiased and accurate information. A good surgeon will walk the person through all options, explain the risks and benefits and discuss realistic timelines for recovery. I always say to colleagues that patients don’t know what they don’t know about surgery, and we doctors don’t know what we don’t know about the patient’s priorities about surgery. Both take time and discussion. I approach discussion of surgery options assuming that my patients know nothing about surgery (though I know that most everyone has read a lot already), just so that I can be sure that I share with them as much information as I have. I also give my patients the option for me to audio-record our visit, and then I send them a copy of the recording by email before they’ve left my office, so that they have every single detail of the typically one-hour discussion session at their disposal to re-listen to whenever, and with whomever, they want. I always tell people, “The only right choice for surgery is for the specific surgery that you decide is the best option for you. So, I don’t wantyou to necessarily decide today. Sleep on this, then come back and see me again, and let’s talk more as you have more questions. There’s no rush.”
Visit the Cedars- Sinai Blog to learn more about Gender Affirming Cancer Screening.
