12 year old has sex change

[daffy654]

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.aspx?cp-documentid=149775490 />
I have to admit that this report disturbs me quite a bit.
How can a 12 year old know for sure that this is what they want? As a parent I don't think I would have allowed my child to have this type of surgery at such a young age.
What do other ABers think?

[daffy654]

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.aspx?cp-documentid=149775490

[LoftyLottie]

Daffy, the child obviously had gender problems, probably physical as well. He probably acted like a female and felt female from a very young age because of this. Best to get this done now than force the child to live as a boy when he feels he is a girl and at 12 years old it is important to get this done now rather than go through puberty feeling so miserable and confused. It will cause some problems at school, but this will be short lived and forgotten and she can get on with her life and enjoy it. So yes, I think the parents did exactly the right thing at exactly the right time.

[Sqad]

I agree entirely with Lofty and it would seem, although I don't know the medical detail, that had the South African athlete been diagnosed earlier and treated in this way, that problems that she encountered in the World Games, might have been avoided.

[smudge]

Lottie's sentiments echo mine.

I've watched a couple of medical programme's on TV about children born trans-gender. It's such a heartbreaking thing for any child/adult &/or their parents to go through.

I hope this particular child goes on to enjoy life to the full, in the gender he feels happier in - a female.

[daffy654]

There is no mention in the article of the child being born with ambiguous gender. My issue is that almost all children have gender identity issues at the start of puberty. I hope this doesn't backfire on the parents 10 years down the line if the child decides he was a male all along and wants to start living as a male again.

[Sqad]

daffy

" My issue is that almost all children have gender identity issues at the start of puberty."

Surely not?

[daffy654]

Are you being sarcastic there Sqad? I can't always tell with you.

[smudge]

Our posts crossed dafffy - good morning by the way, not usually here on a Saturday!

I totally understand what you are saying daffy. If the child was born with clear male or female reproductive organs, then nothing should be done until he/she is of an age where they can make their own decisions.

However, I was under the impression this child was born trans-gender. If he isn't/wasn't, then I totally agree with you.

[daffy654]

If the child was born with both male and female genitalia/reproductive organs then my view is completely different,the child should be allowed to choose whichever they most identify with at the earliest age possible in those circumstances. The article makes no mention whatsoever of that so I have (possibly wrongly) assumed that it was a psychological issue.

[missrandom]

I think its far too young, most of my childhood was spent as a tomboy, playing football,havin my haircut short, all my friends were boys, I didnt do anything "girly" at all. I wore boys clothes and was even physicaly sick when made to wear a dress as a small child, I really wanted to be a boy (even though I always fancied boys and had no feelings of that nature towards girls at all). However once I got to 14 I changed and started experimenting with wearing girls clothes. Now I'm married with kids and I'm not in the remotest bit like a "tomboy" at all. Its way too young to make such a huge decision. Trans gender is completley different though.

[Sqad]

daffy....not at all. I was just questioning the statement that you made that almost ALL children ave identity issues at puberty................in my experience, at puberty, almost all children know whether or not they are male or female.

[smudge]

Lots of children go through the same as missrandom.

Our eldest daughter, a very pretty girl, was a tomboy. She used to be in the five-aside football team at school, etc. However, once she reached 14/15, all that changed & she went on to become a beautiful young lady, wearing feminine clothes (not tarty) & makeup.

She's now married (albeit just filed for divorce after 17 years) & has two beautiful little girls herself.

Our other daughter on the other hand, was always a girlie, girl & loved her dresses & dolls!

[Sqad]

misrandom...I agree entirely and it is not quite clear in this case whether or not we are dealing with hermaphrodism or as you say "tomboyism".......I would bet however it is the former, in which case it would be better to deal with this now.

[smudge]

As I say, if this child is trans-gender, act sooner rather than later to avoid so much misery.

If the child isn't trans-gender, then best to leave it until he can make up his own mind - without coercion from his parents or anyone else.

[beso]

I recently watched an TV article on a young personwho was faced with this. They had video from quite a young age, way before puberty and I have no doubt that this girl in a boy's body was exactly that. Maybe this is the same case.

She had an incredibly mature attitude and remarkably undisturbed by being born in a normal male body. But to have her face the intense masculinisation of puberty would be without doubt a tragedy of major proportion. Absolutely essential that puberty be supressed.

I believe a twelve year old can know this. Every should be judged case on its merits. Meeting this person would make most skeptics think again.

As for daffy's comment about being unsure at puberty. It speaks a lot about daffy but it is not true of the general population.

[beso]

Smudge's comment about their daughter says more about Smudge's sexual sterotypical girls don't play football attitude than any gender confusion of her daughter. I suppose they also presume a guy who wants to do ballet is also confused about their gender.

[smudge]

Sounds very familiar beso - we may have watched the same programme.

All so heart wrenching.

[LoftyLottie]

I can't imagine that this operation was undertaken without the medical teams full knowledge of what was going on with this young person. There would have been a vast amount of psychological and physical examinations by fully experienced medical personal. It would not have happened if the child was just ' confused' about their sexuality at the age of 12. And a young person of 12 with transgender problems would know exactly whether they felt like a boy or a girl - it is not just a question of who they might sexually fancy - it encompasses the whole male/female package.

[4getmenot]

A 9 year old is in paper today

[smudge]

Eh beso - what are you on about?

I didn't once refer to the fact that girls who play football (like my daughter used to), are confused about their sexuality! I was merely agreeing with missrandom's post & adding that just because girls are tomboys when young, can change when in their teens.

There is absolutely nothing 'wrong' with girls who play football, or boys who do ballet.

Neither have anything to do with being confused about gender, so please don't assume, or imagine, that they are my feelings on this matter.