The complexity of human beings is evident when it comes to reflecting on the sexual aspect. It is an essential part of people’s behavior and personality , it has a significant influence on physical and mental health. It is expressed and experienced in different ways , this is because each person develops their own sexuality in a unique way.

When talking about sexuality defining aspects such as orientation and also one’s own identity, reference is usually made to heterosexuality and homosexuality in their different variants. However, it is not only about sexual attraction linking physical and emotional elements; To fully live a healthy sex life, people must also define who they really are.

Femininity and masculinity are concepts used to refer to the most outstanding aspects of sexuality. Both have their own characteristics and qualities that define and attract people. But these are not only used to describe the reasons why you can feel attraction to another individual, they are also concepts that help define your own sexual identity.

Sometimes people have difficulties to feel as their own the anatomical characteristics with which they were born. They feel and think according to characteristics belonging to gender that is contrary to their own sex. For these people they are called transsexuals and their condition will be treated through different types of treatments that include the performance of surgical procedures, combined with therapies and the administration of medications to treat them psychologically. 

What is transsexuality?

Transsexuality is defined as a psychological condition in which the sexual identity differs from the biological one . It is considered to be a type of disorder because it describes the incongruity between the sexual anatomy and the psychology of the person who feels alien to those physical characteristics. They usually seek to perform surgical and hormonal treatments that help them make important changes in their physique.

This turns out to be a delicate subject because it should not only be studied from a sexual and biological perspective. Here other visions with functional neurological correlations are integrated, brain changes occur that can even be related to the secretion of hormones.

People who identify as transsexuals describe feeling anguish attributed to not identifying their body image , this is an important key because body representation is part of a person’s identity. When there is a physical incongruity with respect to the sensations, thoughts and mental patterns that represent signs of feminization or masculinization; as a consequence, he suffers from psychological and social anguish.

Usually various treatments are carried out that together or help to carry out a procedure called ” sex reassignment “. These physical changes, however, are not the only solution, brain alteration and medical and psychological care are aspects that sometimes remain in the background.

One begins to reflect on the medical ethical question . There are still prejudices associated with transsexual people, part of the medical community manifests having a lack of information, which limits them to provide adequate treatment. However, it is possible to find professional medical personnel who will specialize in caring for patients of this type.

What are their characteristics?

The main characteristic of transsexuality is that people who suffer from it manifest disagreement with respect to the anatomical characteristics of their bodies. They claim to be born with the wrong biological sex , they defend feeling conviction and identification with the gender opposite to their biological sex.

In this sense, sexuality for transsexual people is markedly defined. The biological sex defined by genitality is differentiated with respect to the sexual identity made up of all the psychological elements expressed in behavior and personality.

This is where changes in the way they dress and also in how they behave begin to manifest themselves . A clear difference can be observed between the characteristics that define the gender to which they belong, these are not manifested as part of their personal grooming and neither in their behavior.

It is important to establish the differences between the terms transsexuality and transgender . They are usually associated by the implication of not identifying with the gender of birth, however transgenderism refers to gender identity that does not correspond to that of the body. These people express feelings of belonging to the opposite sex.

Transsexuality is framed in the biological context, that is, the sex with which one is born and is defined by genitality. There is a firm conviction that they feel attached to a gender identity that is not associated with their own biological sex. These people firmly believe that they are “inside” a body to which they do not belong or that they were born with the wrong gender.

In this case, sex changes are usually made through surgeries and the administration of drugs that allow intervening in the secretion of hormones. It is a radical treatment, therefore you should always have psychological support to facilitate the transition process .

Transsexuality and the modern world 

The relationship between transsexuality and the rest of society has always been in conflict. Since ancient times, all sexual behaviors, orientations and identities that do not conform to the characteristics of heterosexuality are considered abnormal . They are always part of the groups of conditions indicated as psychological problems, however eventually they would begin to adopt a different position with greater social acceptance.

With the advancement of medicine and the realization of new research applying different perspectives, it has been possible to achieve important positive changes, concluding that sexual diversity is part of human nature. However, even today it is difficult to differentiate and understand what sexual orientation and sexual identity mean .

Sexual orientation means being physically and emotionally attracted to a particular gender. On the other hand, sexual identity refers to how the person perceives himself, in terms of his feelings and emotions are compatible with his anatomical characteristics.

Although the quality of life of these people improves considerably when they have access to all the necessary resources to carry out the sex change, this does not mean that they will be able to integrate into society easily. It is important that the possibility of having access to psychological, surgical and hormonal treatment that allows them to express their sexual identity is guaranteed .

Transsexuality is associated with self-concept , people value their identity. Being a man or a woman also has implications for certain social and cultural factors. Sometimes transsexuality is confused with gender dysphoria, this condition describes the frustration and discomfort that people feel when it comes to their own body. This psychological phenomenon is also related to problems of self-esteem, anxiety, depressive disorders and behavior. Transsexuality does not necessarily imply having dysphoria.

Important progress still needs to be made to raise awareness and improve access to sex education. Transsexuality is not a disorder, identity and its diversity is not a pathology. The transsexual community continues to be the object of high stigmatization , they must continually suffer from inequality in their rights, which favors transphobia .

Currently, transsexuality is still considered a type of mental disorder, registering in the DSM-IV as Sexual Identity Disorder or ICD-10. Until 2018, the World Health Organization allowed transsexuality to be considered a mental disorder. Instead it is recorded as a gender incongruity.

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Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.

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