Transition speech-any feedback is welcome
Transitioning a Life Changing Experience
Informative Speech by Francis Dalog Jr.
Attention Getter: Have you ever worn clothes that you wanted to go out in, but your parents denied you? Remember putting clothes in a bag and changing as soon as you go out of the house or change in the car? It might’ve just for a party or a night out, but for me it wasn’t about looking good for the night; it wasn’t about wearing that outfit for one night. It was about being who I really am. Treating this awful medical condition is a long a difficult path. I have suffered from this medical condition as far as I can remember, but it wasn’t only until last year I was diagnosed with GID. There are many people who suffer from severe transsexualism, day by day they have to go through several of obstacles just to be seen as who they truly are.
Thesis: in order to understand my journey and other transsexuals, we’ll talk about definitions, diagnosis, therapy and surgery options as well as socially transitioning.
[Transition: Now, let’s start with learning the diagnosis and definition of transsexualism.
Body
I. Based on the The Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association’s
There are three criteria in order to define and diagnose transsexualism
A. The desire to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite sex, usually accompanied by the wish to make his or her body as congruent as possible with the preferred sex through surgery and hormone treatment;
B. The transsexual identity has been present persistently for at least two years:
C. The disorder is not a symptom of another mental disorder or a chromosomal abnormality.
[Transition: Now that I discussed the diagnoses and definition of GID (Gender identity Disorder) or Transsexualism let’s get in depth with therapy options.]
II. There are two kinds of therapy options to treat transsexualism.
A. Gender Therapy
1. You can use a family therapist, general therapist or gender specialist therapist to diagnose you with GID.
2. Must have at least 3 sessions with the therapist before getting:
a. Hormone replacement therapy letter
1. I never went through the proper therapy because all three of my Primary Care managers who are military officers of the Air Force all approved me to start Hormones replacement therapy.
2. It approves you to start taking Testosterone.
b. Top/Bottom surgery letter
B. Hormones Replacement Therapy
1. Find a trans friendly endocrinologist to prescribe testosterone.
2. We’ll have blood work from the endocrinologist.
a. Blood work will determine the hormone levels in your body
b. It helps determine the dosage amount of testosterone you will take
3. Receiving Testosterone
a. Injection with needles, weekly, bi-weekly up to monthly; most common and effective
b. Gel such as androgel 1.62 which is applied daily, whereas changes aren’t as fast as injections but less mood swings.
[Transition: Now that we know what therapy options there are, let’s get right into the surgery options.]
III. Top surgery is referring to chest area, making it more masculine.
A. According to the Hudson FTM Guide there are two types of chest reconstruction surgery
1. Double incision/bilateral
a. It is a technique used on “C” cups or larger chest; which large incisions are made horizontal below the nipple to extract breast tissue and excess fat.
b. Depending on the surgeons they sew up the scars all the way just before the armpit, leaving two horizontal scars.
2. Keyhole/Peri-areolar incision
a. This technique is more effective and commonly used on smaller chested guys, size “A” cup and very small “B” cup.
b. The surgeon would make a small incision along the areolar (dark skin around the nipple) and the breast tissue is removed using liposuction with needles.
c. Scars would be non-existence and chest would appear completely flat.
1. I have an extremely small chest so the keyhole procedure will be perfect for me, thus its being expensive so I won’t be able to get it for another few years.
B. Cost of surgery is from five thousand to ten thousand here in the USA
C. Bottom surgery is the alteration of the genital area, but it is still in a caveman stage
[Transition: Now that I’ve told you about medically transitioning, let’s get into social transitioning.]
IV. Socially transitioning is just as important as medically transitioning, its about being seen in the public eye as who you are, its about how you interact with family, friends and the public.
A. Pronouns is very important to someone who is suffering from Transsexualism
1. It helps puts the person as ease as they are being seen as their true self
2. Also helps other people call them the right pronouns
3. Being known around school as male has made me more confidence and feel safe.
B. Name Change
1. Most female to male transsexuals change their name from their birth name, to feel more like themselves
2. It cost about 200$+ depending on the state
3. I’m never going to change my name, because the name you know me as is my birth name
a. Every male on my dad’s side of the family has the root name “francis” from my great grandpa Francisco Sr, grandpa is Francisco Jr., my uncle Franklin, my dad Francis Sr, me Francis Jr and my 5 year old cousin Francisco III. So I feel like it was meant to be.
[Transition: Now that we know what therapy options, surgery options and socially transitioning are, let’s review.]
V.
Thesis: I have told you a general idea of how a person with transsexualism can be treated.
A. Transsexualism is a medical condition where one wants to be as similar as the opposite sex.
B. Gender therapy to help get letters and approval to start transitioning.
C. Hormone replacement therapy is when one administers Testosterone to replace estrogen and have masculine looks.
D. Chest reconstruction; Top surgery to make the chest appear flat and masculine.
E. Socially transitioning with pronouns, name change, driver license.
Closing Statement: Transsexuals are people too, they live day by day to their best abilities to be who they are, but they need a little help along the way. Next time if you know someone who has transsexualism or GID, call them by their right pronouns, talk to them with their chosen name. You never know you might be the one to save their life one day.
Works Cited
Hudson ftm guide. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.ftmguide.org/index.html
Meyer, W. (2001). Standards of care for gender identity disorders. The Harry Benjamin Internation Gender Dysphoria As. Retrieved fromhttp://www.wpath.org/Documents2/socv6.pdf
© Copyright 2012 The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Inc. Retrieved from http://wpath.org/about_wpath.cfm
Ftm therapy and testoterone. Hudson FTM Guide. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ftmguide.org/tandhealth.html
Plastic, reconstructive and gender related surgery. (n.d.). Retrieved fromhttp://www.brownsteinmd.com/
Ftm Health. Trans Health. Retrieved from
http://transhealth.vch.ca/resources/library/tcpdocs/consumer/hormones-FTM.pdf
