Cover it all

The topic of the transgender community can be very confusing to many. After all, it is difficult for people to understand concepts that they have no experience with, especially when those concepts bombard well-established norms such as gender.

But for the transgender community, confusion isn’t so much of an issue. It can be as simple as knowing your hair color or taste in food. It’s an intrinsic awareness that the vessel doesn’t correspond with the passenger. To put it plainly, the body doesn’t match the gender.

One aspect of the issue that draws further confusion is the idea of a gender reassignment surgery. At Portland State’s Student Health and Counseling Center, those dealing with transgender issues may find help in the form of such an operation and counseling, though further surgeries to compliment the reassignment may be difficult to cover—surgeries dealing with the Adam’s apple for example.

These accompanying surgeries should be covered. Gender reassignment isn’t something someone takes lightly. It is a process that, in the majority of cases, requires long-term therapy over many years to even be considered for the operation. This can be partially attributed to a number of instances where a person experiences deep regret after the operation. Still, if this is an endeavor a person chooses to take, transforming a body to match the accurate gender can’t stop at simply modifying the central organ of debate.

While SHAC cannot currently offer prescriptions for hormone therapy, another medical aspect of gender reassignment, they can administer the hormones if a person was able to obtain a prescription outside of SHAC.

Some may initially find this all gross or crude. Well, it is very gross and crude. But every surgery is. This particular surgery doesn’t corner the market on disturbing medical procedures. Have you ever watched an operation on television, whether it be a kidney operation or a breast augmentation? It isn’t exactly something you watch while eating dinner.

One issue at hand here is the aspect of mental health in such situations. Dealing with a reassignment surgery is a matter that takes serious consideration in this regard. Though exact statistics are difficult to come by, one conclusion that is clear among those who have studied it, is that suicide rates among the transgender community are considerably high. Mental health is a concern, and operations can play a role in this field. Of course this can’t be said across the entire community, and is a matter best handled between a person and their doctor.

If SHAC can go partway in offering procedures in the area of gender reassignment, why not go all the way? If you’re going to do a job, do it right, and carry it out to completion.

Now granted, some may say I am not the best person to write on this matter. I came out equipped not to deal with this issue, but the broader issue goes beyond affecting one simple group. Fairness in medical treatment is something that can affect us all.