ARTS 210 CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM

SOLVING. Assignment One

3/11/2017, 4:15 PM

GENDER IDENTITY REPORT

By Paul J A Sullivan.

Student ID: 614256

Abstract
The reason for this report, the individual’s journey of transitioning towards his or
her desired gender rising issues will be looking in to why transgender teens and
adults take their own lives and reason or the causes and why.
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1 TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 2
2.1 The Purpose Of This Report....................................................................... 2
2.2 Issues To Be Discussed And Their Significance ..................................... 2
3 Research Methods ............................................................................................. 2
4 QUESTIONS........................................................................................................ 2
4.1 Questionable Issues ................................................................................... 3
5 POINTS OF VIEW ............................................................................................... 4
6 ASSUMPTIONS .................................................................................................. 5
7 INFERENCES...................................................................................................... 5
8 CONCEPTS ......................................................................................................... 5
8.1 The definition of transgender..................................................................... 5
8.2 The laws that each person has rights. ...................................................... 6
9 IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................................... 7
10 Treatments ...................................................................................................... 8
10.1 Gender reassignment surgery ................................................................ 8
10.2 Hormone Injections ................................................................................. 9
10.3 Hormone pills ........................................................................................... 9
11 Transition Completed................................................................................... 11
11.1 Male to Female ....................................................................................... 11
11.2 Female to Male ....................................................................................... 11
12 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 12
13 References .................................................................................................... 13
13.1 Other Related Sources .......................................................................... 13
14 Appendices ................................................................................................... 13

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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2 INTRODUCTION
2.1 THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT
The purpose of this report is to prevent further psychological depression by having
treatments, which may include surgery.

2.2 ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE

Teenage and adult trans genders taking their own lives? One percentage is caused
from being bullied, and the other percentage is caused by being on the surgical
waiting list.

3 RESEARCH METHODS
Literature in Google scholar, online journals, essays, online journals, websites and
Doctors findings.

4 QUESTIONS
What hormone treatments the individual will receive?

How long will the hormone treatments take effect?

What type of gender reassignment surgery is performed?

What is transgender?

What is the science data of gender identity disorder?

What information a transgender male or female individual will receive?

They will receive all information that is relevant to his or her needs.

How much will cost?

Depends on the individual needs, can range between NZD$10,000. - $50,000.

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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4.1 QUESTIONABLE ISSUES

In the Indian Journal of Psychological Article 2016 about transgender persons

having Behaviour that has been identified as Suicidal and committing Suicide

According to H. G. Virupaksha, Daliboyina Muralidhar, and Jayashree

Ramakrishna, their findings conclude the rates of suicide attempts amongst

transgender persons are significantly higher than the general population

internationally. In India, thirty one percent have taken their life, compared to fifty

percent have attempted suicide before turning the age of twenty. (Virupaksha,

Muralidhar and Ramakrishna, 2016)

On NZ Herald news website, Psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald asked in his 2nd

March 2017 article -Why transgender youth suicide rates in New Zealand are so

high? MacDonald (2017) explains we have a growing understanding to accept an

individual's equals rights to express their gender identity in any shape or form

they choose. MacDonald (2017) also admits when it comes to understanding

transgender and sexuality, Psychotherapy and psychology has been lacking

these issues. (MacDonald, 2017)

Suicide rate for Gender Dysphoria people is 1 in 5, compared to main stream is

1 in 20.

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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1. Figure 1 Teenage transgender suicide data , New Zealand

5 POINTS OF VIEW
The pros and cons of other people’s Points of view.

They see themselves as the true gender, the opposite to the gender he or she

was born with.

Someone in my class (can not be named due to privacy laws) who is transgender

male, (or trans-male, for short) in his point of view he stressed to me the word

‘Transgender’ is offensive and should not used. So, in his case, I can only assume

he prefers to be identified as Trans-Masculine (female to male).

And only the term Gender Dysphoria (formerly- Gender Identity Disorder) should be
allowed.

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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6 ASSUMPTIONS
The transgender individual’s family and friend’s acceptance.
What will be the end results?

7 INFERENCES
Having further psychological depression if the individual transgender does not

receive hormone treatment.

The only Inferences will be from people and religious groups who are against

such matters.

8 CONCEPTS
8.1 THE DEFINITION OF TRANSGENDER.
In the NEW YORK (Reuters) Article ‘Born This Way? Researchers Investigate the
Science of Gender Identity’ By Daniel Trotta, the reporter has stated geneticists
within a group of five research institutions in five countries, studying a most important
research project an attempt to unravel gender identity by investigating a transgender
individual’s DNA for signs whether or not transgender people really are "Born that
way". (Trotta, 2017)

Genetics. deoxyribonucleic acid: an extremely long macromolecule that is the

main component of chromosomes and is the material that transfers genetic
characteristics in all life forms, constructed of two nucleotide strands coiled
around each other in a ladder like arrangement with the sidepieces composed
of alternating phosphate and deoxyribose units and the rungs composed of
the purine and pyrimidine bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine: the
genetic information of DNA is encoded in the sequence of the bases and is
transcribed as the strands unwind and replicate.The set of nongenetic traits,
qualities, or features that characterize a person or thing.

source: dictionary – DNA followed by Genetic code

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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A transgender is either male or female.

The definitions Of Trans-Masculine is Female to Male. And Trans-Femme is Male to
Female.

8.2 THE LAWS THAT EACH PERSON HAS RIGHTS.

The Human Rights Commission report that was published in January 2008

titled To Be Who I am (Maori- Kia noho au ki tōku anō ao) the report is an inquiry
about transgender persons who have experienced discrimination

The Inquiry was conducted under Section 5(2) (h) of the Human Rights Act
1993 by which the Commission may:

“inquire generally into any matter, including any enactment or law, or any
practice, or any procedure, whether governmental or non-governmental, if it
appears to the Commission that the matter involves, or may involve, the
infringement of human rights”.

Terms of Reference

1. The Commission will inquire into:

(a) the nature and extent of discrimination experienced by transgender

people

(b) The accessibility of public health services to transgender people

(incorporating the minimum core obligations of both the primary and
secondary health services, including, but not limited to, gender reassignment
services)

(c) The barriers faced by transgender people when attempting to gain full
legal recognition of their gender status.

2. To consider, as a result of these inquiry processes, whether to make

recommendations on:

(a) Changes to legislation, regulations, policies and practices

(b) Other steps required to reduce the level of marginalisation experienced

by transgender people.

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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The data for the report was composed from many Gender Dysphoria people from

different ages, the youngest aged eleven and the oldest aged late seventies, and

(not excluding) from all walks of life. Such as tradespeople, managers, sew workers,

health professionals and many other occupations. Some gender dysphoria people

like to referred to them self’s in many ways, such as a cross-dresser, transsexuals,

trans-Femme (male to female), trans-Masculine (female to male) and androgynous

gender queer people. While others just wanted to be preferred as a man or woman.

(Human Rights Commission, 2008)

9 IMPLICATIONS
A person’s gender by birth implication of immediate changes to transition to their

correct gender will surprise their family and friends.

In some cases, a transgender person may become disown or unwanted by some

of his or her family member(s), also some friends.

(from Outline, my words)

From an early childhood, that young person’s idea of his or her true gender

based on external and internal factors. If that person was born female, but has

more male chromosomes, this means she is a tomboy, and she’s feels she

was born the wrong gender, meant to be a male, in other words

transmasculine. The same also applies to a baby born who has female

chromosomes, and feels he was meant to be female, meaning TransFemme.

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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10 TREATMENTS
10.1 GENDER REASSIGNMENT SURGERY
During my research of my topic report, I discovered from NZ Government of Heath
website - www.health.govt.nz. Information about Gender reassignment surgery
which clearly states, there are four phases the individual must go through after he or
she has been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder, his or her readiness for the
operation.

Phase one: Real life experience of preferred gender.

Phase two: hormones treatment of preferred gender.

Phase three: Surgery to perform change of individual’s genitalia and including

other physical characteristics, and

Phase four: Monitoring of Post-transition.

Both Phase one and two can be performed at the same time during transitioning.
This may include other surgeries such as breast and hip Enhancement/Removal
which are achievable at almost any local cosmetic surgery clinic.

The NZ Ministry of Health only fund three surgeries every year (And yet there are
one hundred people on the waiting list each year) but for the gender reassignment
surgery now gets referred to overseas public hospital like in Thailand by your general
practitioner (Doctor) or and specialists, but this may take longer to get a referral.
compared with receiving plastic surgery from private hospitals & specialists are or
can be very expensive, but you will receive the same care and treatment a lot
sooner.

Adam Dudding mentioned in his (2014) stuff news article Dr Peter Walker aged 72
after 22 years was New Zealand’s only gender reassignment surgeon, retired in
2014. (Dudding, 2014)

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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10.2 HORMONE INJECTIONS

It may be true that hormone injections from your local GP/ Doctor are more effective
than hormone pills. However, a percentage of trans-people seem able to obtain
hormone injections on the black market for a lot cheaper, but for a high risk of
illnesses by sharing needles.

According to an ABC News Article ‘Why some Transgender Woman who wish to
transition are using Black Market Drugs’ dated 10th May 2016 By Olivia Smith and
Justine Quart. Smith & Quart (2016) story is about one such person a 18 year old
trans-woman named Ivana Black, who travelled one hundred miles to sit on a couch
in a strangers home of a woman who lived there, trusting and putting her life in the
strangers hands, Quart waiting for her shot which she paid USD$40. Advance it is
one of many risks someone like Ivana Black will take of getting an illness like HIV,
Ivana Black now lives as a woman today. (Smith & Quart, 2016)

10.3 HORMONE PILLS

They are many websites were trans-people able to purchase Hormone pills online
without a subscription Male to Female Testosterone blocker (taken first)

2. Figure 2 Testosterone blocker

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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3. Figure 3 Oestrogen Booster Breast

Female to Male
Testosterone (pictured) and others are not subscribed like muscle enhancers/
development.

4. Figure 4 Testosterone

https://www.supplements.co.nz/products/balance-tribulus-20-000-60caps

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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11 TRANSITION COMPLETED
11.1 MALE TO FEMALE
Name: Sona Avedian. A former US Marine named Matthew

5. Figure 5 Male to female, Photographer: Claudia Gonzalez

11.2 FEMALE TO MALE

Name: Ashenal

6. Figure 6 Female to Male, Photographer: Claudia Gonzalez

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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12 CONCLUSION

My conclusion is what all transgender peoples journey, What type of treatments they

receive what they put up with such as being bulled, discrimination to taking his or her

own life, also other reasons or the causes such as delays the rising issues will be

looking in too why we still have a long waiting list.

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256
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13 REFERENCES
DUDDING, A. (2014, October 26). NZ's only sex change surgeon retires. Retrieved
November 02, 2017, from http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/10664572/NZs-only-
sex-change-surgeon-retires

Human Rights Commission [Ed] (January 2008) ISBN: 978-0-478-28643-4

https://www.hrc.co.nz/your-rights/social-equality/our-work/inquiry-discrimination-
experienced-transgender-people/

MacDonald, K. [ psychotherapist], (2017) Why are New Zealand's suicide rates so

high among transgender youth. NZ Herald ,
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11810387

Trotta, D. (2017) Born This Way? Researchers Explore the Science of Gender
Identity. US News, https://www.usnews.com/news/news/articles/2017-08-03/born-
this-way-researchers-explore-the-science-of-gender-identity

Virupaksha, H. G., Muralidhar, D., & Ramakrishna, J. (2016). Suicide and Suicidal
Behavior among Transgender Persons. Indian Journal of Psychological
Medicine, 38(6), 505–509. http://doi.org/10.4103/0253-7176.194908

13.1 OTHER RELATED SOURCES

NZ Ministry of Health - Gender reassignment surgery (no author), (2014),.
http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/hospitals-and-specialist-care/high-cost-treatment-
pool/gender-reassignment-surgery

14 APPENDICES

1. Figure 1 Teenage transgender suicide data , New Zealand ........................... 4

2. Figure 2 Testosterone blocker.......................................................................... 9
3. Figure 3 Oestrogen Booster Breast ............................................................... 10
4. Figure 4 Testosterone ..................................................................................... 10
5. Figure 5 Male to female, Photographer: Claudia Gonzalez .......................... 11
6. Figure 6 Female to Male, Photographer: Claudia Gonzalez ......................... 11

Photographer: Claudia Gonzalez http://aplus.com/a/transgender-before-after-

claudia-gonzalez?no_monetization=true

Arts 210 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Assignment One Gender Identity Report, Edenz Collage, Auckland Campus, NZ.
P J A Sullivan. student id:614256