Comments | fayanora: Question

fayanora

Question

Jun 17, 2009 18:53

I have a character in a series of stories who is a male-to-female transgendered girl. She has known her true gender pretty much since she was a toddler, and has parents who are really cool about it. She's on hormones and so on. Now, my question is, how young can one get sex reassignment surgery, with parental consent? I ask because I want her to ( Read more... )

question, questions, gender issues

Comments 8

ownedbyzpydah June 18 2009, 02:46:57 UTC

not likely if you're going for realism. i did read once about a twelve year old Australian who got a judge to sign off on her surgery... her father was trying to appeal it. in the U.S. most surgeons won't touch anyone under 21, though getting hormones and such earlier is relatively easy.

kelly_holden June 18 2009, 05:06:21 UTC

Every legal case I've heard of in the last few years involving Aussie trans minors has involved either hormones or an FTM boy's chest surgery (and in the surgery case I'm pretty sure he was 17 and pointing out he'd do it as soon he was an adult anyway).

ownedbyzpydah June 18 2009, 16:48:57 UTC

this article isn't the one i read a while back, but it is the same case ( ... )

kelly_holden June 18 2009, 22:41:12 UTC

That case I remember quite clearly was an FTM going on hormones, and only blockers, not even male hormones. I remember posting to queer_rage about how all the press kept calling him a girl and the commenters on one Aussie news site thought he should wait until he was 18.

kengr June 18 2009, 04:54:21 UTC

Due to legal liability and the like, I don't see surgery any younger than 16. And 18 is rather more likely. Y'see even with parental permission, the docs are gonna be worried about the "kid" changing her mind after she becomes an adult and suing.

If she was getting the drug that blocks puberty, she'd look younger though. If she was actually on hormones, and started early, she'll look rather more normal for a girl of her age.

fayanora June 18 2009, 05:01:00 UTC

Ah, okay. Well, her parents are lawyers. Maybe they can get her SRS for her 18th birthday present, then? Which is what I had originally intended anyway. Plus, now that I think on it, the reason I wanted her to get it younger doesn't really need it.

for what it's worth... ned_opdyke June 20 2009, 15:01:03 UTC

... you could have the character already have had the surgery anyway, even if it wasn't 'legal'. You could say something like... her supportive parents found a reputable doctor in another country... or something like that... ???

Re: for what it's worth... fayanora June 21 2009, 11:02:02 UTC

Good idea. Though they're both lawyers. :-)

Well, I did find one story taking place in the timeframe I was planning the novel for, that mentions Jaz and says she still hasn't had the surgery, and that she's going to get it for her 18th birthday. Who am I to argue with canon? :-) Besides... this could make her relationship with Rock (Victor) much more interesting. Especially since he identifies as straight. The relationship was going to be interesting anyway, but this could make it more so.

Seems I should re-read things before asking questions of the Internet, in future. :-D