Until a few decades ago, society did not begin to see the existence of transsexuals normally. However, transsexuality is not a current phenomenon but exists since ancient times, and in different cultures. According to the World Health Organization, transsexualism -name used since 1940- is the desire to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite gender, usually accompanied by the desire to modify by hormonal or surgical methods the body itself to do so. more congruent with the preferred genre. This is also indicated by Marifé Bravo, head of the Psychiatry Service of the La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, who claims that it is an alteration of sexual identity in which there is no agreement between the anatomical sex and the sex to which an individual feels. belong. Although Medicine is included as a disorder, Bravo clarifies that it is not a mental disorder in itself, but is treated as such due to the psychological complications that these patients present, especially before beginning the reassignment process. The origin of transsexuality can be biological, since it has been demonstrated the existence of differences in certain brain structures between people of different sexual orientation. A recent study in the hypothalamus of six male-to-female transsexuals has shown that the basal nucleus of the terminal stria is smaller in transsexuals than in heterosexual and homosexual men. Transsexuality, as Bravo points out, could also originate during the fetal stage, in which an alteration results in the brain being hormonally impregnated with a sexuality different from the genital one. But the psychiatrist insists that, in addition, education and environmental influence in childhood or puberty can determine the behavior and sexual orientation of the adult.
Gender dysphoria (find out more)
The change of gender is an important and fundamental process in the life of the person with an identity that does not correspond to him, the way to reach it is something difficult and controversial. This is one of the themes of the 21st century, in some parts of the world the desire to change sex is still seen as a taboo subject. Sexual identity should not be confused with sexual orientation, that is, with someone's sexual preferences. Identity refers to the recognition that a person makes of his body: if he feels of the masculine or feminine gender.
Many transgender people have a clear gender identity since childhood and spend several years of their lives seeking a legal and social recognition of their own identity. Normally at puberty, transsexual people feel more rejection towards their body because it is at this age when secondary sexual characteristics develop.
The constant situation of contradiction between body and mind derives the transsexual person to request professional help. Nowadays transsexuality is a situation for the majority of society very unknown and there are times that some health professionals reject transsexual people since they do not have adequate training in this regard.
The person who is rejected continues to look for qualified professionals, this situation causes anguish, self-esteem problems, self-hormonalization, self-harm, depression and even suicide. The transsexual person has to find suitable professionals to start the process of transsexualization.
The first step is psychosocial care, requiring psychological listening, carrying out medical tests, real life tests, etc., for as long as the professional deems convenient until the diagnosis of gender dysphoria diagnosis is made and the hormonal treatment
Psychosocial attention is convenient to be carried out throughout the process for possible complications suffered by the transsexual person.