By Hassan Mirza, GAY.COM
Twelve-year-old Kim is believed to be the youngest person to begin gender reassignment.
Biologically male and originally named Tim by her parents, Kim was diagnosed officially as a transsexual two years ago and has been undergoing hormone treatments.
In the UK, doctors generally avoid gender reassignment surgery until the patients are over 18.
However, following an extensive mental and physical examinations, German doctors have been given the go-ahead. The child’s parents have also expressed enthusiasm to begin immediately.
Kim’s father, identified as Lutz P, spoke candidly to German news magazine Stern and Der Spiegal about the non-issue of Kim living as a girl.
"We saw Kim as a girl, but not as a problem. Our life was surprisingly normal," he said. However, once the child encountered puberty, she showed signs of resistance and frustration.
"At that stage we realised that she was terrified of growing facial hair and her voice breaking."
While it is usual to begin treatments for someone so young, Kim’s doctors insist that in would be in her best interest to take steps toward surgery because growing up as a man could be psychologically damaging.
"Kim is a mentally well-developed child who appears happy and balanced," Dr Bern Meyenburg, specialising in transsexuality at Frankfurt University, included in his diagnosis.
"There is no doubt of the determined wish that was already detectable since early childhood.
It would have been very wrong to let Kim grow up to be a man. It is rare to have such a clear-cut case."
It is not so rare....
here is a video regarding gender dysphoria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKPrdeLb2cI
Posted by: MARK ANGELO CUMMINGS | January 31, 2007 at 06:05 PM