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Understanding the Health Side of Transgender

Transgender is not called a mental disorder if it does not cause depression to the inability to carry out daily activities. But physical health risks can still lurk. Gender refers to human reflection on itself, which is formed from the construction of social roles, activities, behavior, and the environment. Transgender people are those who feel that their gender identity does not match their gender at birth. For example, a transgender woman is born a male, but the person feels that she is a woman. Similar to transgender men, the person is born with a female sex but feels himself a man.

Not Mental Disorders

Transgender is generally not categorized as a mental disorder. But there are times when transgender people are more at risk of suffering from mental disorders due to conflicts within themselves about their gender identity, and also because of discrimination and social pressure. Transgender people can experience gender identity disorder / gender identity disorder (GID), if being transgender makes them feel depressed, depressed, or become unable to undergo daily activities, such as working and building relationships with others. To help improve mental health and evaluate their condition further, transgender people can consult with a psychiatrist or psychologist. In some cases, a gender transition is one solution.

Need to Transition?

The decision to make a gender transition is not a simple matter. A transgender is strongly advised to get counseling from doctors and psychologists before making that decision. Although most transgender people don't actually feel the need to change their physical or gender transitions with certain procedures, there are also some who consider it a solution. Gender transitions are carried out preceded by a series of physical and psychological examinations to reduce the risks that may arise. Here are choices of ways that can be taken:

  • Hormone replacement therapy

    • For male transgender, hormone replacement therapy has the role of stimulating the growth of mustaches and other masculine physical characteristics, ranging from skin, hair, voice, to fat distribution. While for female transgender, hormone replacement therapy plays a role in bringing up the breasts and allocating body fat distribution.

  • Operation

    • For transgender women, surgery is performed to change the voice, face, skin, Adam's apple, hips, breasts, buttocks, and genital organs. While surgery for male transgender, to change the appearance of the chest, genital organs, uterine lifting (hysterectomy), fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

Risk of Transitioning

Like all medical procedures, gender transitions also have risks to health. Here are some risks to look out for:
  • Side effects of hormone therapy to make the body look more feminine or masculine, such as blood clots, weight gain, hair loss, gallstones, and sleep apnea. Hormone therapy in transgender people can also cause infertility.
  • Hormone therapy combined with a bad lifestyle, such as drinking too much alcohol and smoking, greatly increases the risk of liver, lung, and other bodily disorders.
  • When performing a transition operation, this effect will be permanent, and sometimes the results of the operation are not as expected. Side effects of surgery are also not small, including infection, bleeding, to the loss of genitals and body parts that are dissected.
Some other methods carry an even more dangerous risk. For example injecting silicone to form certain body parts, which can cause health problems later in life, as well as undesirable changes in shape on the face and body. Silicon that is injected with a syringe that is used interchangeably is also at risk of causing diseases, such as hepatitis to HIV.

Transgender and Disease Risk

HIV is one of the risks of disease that is most often associated with transgender. A study found that nearly 28 percent of transgender women tested positive for HIV. About 70 percent of this number do not know that they have the disease. The following are possible factors that do not support the maintenance of transgender health:

  • Lack of access to health services

    • Most transgender people do not have access to health facilities, partly because of stigma and social discrimination from the community.

  • Limited health information and services

    • Not many mental health service centers have sufficient knowledge and competence to deal with transgender people.

  • Contrary to rules and beliefs

    • Regulations or norms that limit the use of condoms to prevent HIV infection.
Hormone therapy in transgender people also carries a long-term impact on health. Some health problems that can occur are bone loss, high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, and changes in the body's metabolism. Therefore, transgender people who have undergone hormone therapy need to get regular health checks. The controversy about transgender causes not a few transgender people who live in discrimination and social rejection. This can lead to the risk of physical and mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, and suicide. For this reason, transgender people need to conduct routine health checks on doctors who understand this condition, at appropriate health centers.

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