Poll: You wake up with alternate genitalia...

[Harbinger_]

Well first thing I would do is obviously mess around with it and then do whatever possible to change back afterwards.

 

[PatSilverFox]

I would have surgery so I could have both ;3

 

[Paksenarrion]

Reenact live action Bible Black.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

I'd live with it since I'd be happier then than now. It'd be a wonderful mistake. :3

 

[Sparrow]

I only see once answer: suicide.

Well. After I test everything out, of course.

 

[Tim Mazzola]

I'd be cool with this. I love my current setup but I could probably get used to a new one.

 

[My Name Is Brandon]

Wake up, Scream.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Spoiler: other stuff

I've seen this argument/comparison made before, and in a far more derogatory manner.
The problem is, well, treatment. Both surgery, and psychiatric care are a form of medical intervention.
Saying one is better than the other makes a fundamental assertion about which is less dangerous, but also about which is easier to change.
Now, I don't know about you, but I'm pretty uncomfortable with the idea of someone messing with my mind, even if that's technically the part that's faulty. This becomes an even more serious question when the prevailing understanding is that psychiatric treatments don't work for the problem in question. (which has generally been the conclusion for transsexuals).

Very well said. I feel like I've got a slightly different perception of things. Nicely done. I don't feel we should "force" people into any way of living when they aren't hurting anyone. It seems (to me) that when somebody goes to a therapist and tells them that they really want to hurt themselves and that the recommendation is that they actually do so, that seems a little crazy to me. Not that psychiatry / mind altering drugs are the definitive answer (or any answer at all).

It also seems probable that the desire to change one's sex might stem from other psychological issues and not just a completely isolated motivation hidden deep within the brain. Again, I'm talking out of my ass on this one.

That's a definite problem, and one which can't be conclusively answered. Unfortunately, there's no information about what kind of problem transsexualism actually is. There's some very limited research that provides certain clues, but most of it is just conjecture and speculation.

The problem for those being asked to 'treat' it, is that they have nothing to go on but what the person is telling them.
There's no diagnostic tests. No physical characteristics to go on...
Just... Whatever they're being told by the person.

And, it is entirely possible that there is more than one cause, and that it merely all looks like one thing because the symptoms are the same.
And thus, it's possible that depending on the underlying causes and reasons, the correct course of action to deal with any given person may not always be the same.

But, that's a difficult one to get around at the moment. And unfortunately, there's a tendency, due to the social stigma, and the past behaviour of psychologists and medical professionals for those with this kind of problem to lie about what they're experiencing because of a lack of trust, and the perception that if you don't tell this person what they expect to hear, you won't get any kind of help.

That really just makes it all the more complicated to get any real sense of what's going on.

 

[JoJo]

Well, obviously, I'd be fucked.
Because I would know, whatever the people who know me would say, that they would be creeped out and slowly but surely alienate me from their lives.
So, living as a lone transsexual and most likely be bored by it after a months time, I'd damn well want my sex back; if not to remedy my boredom.
I do not find my own sex to be a defining characteristic, although of the much different chemistry and mind-set, so I wouldn't have too much of a problem with it. Except everything stated above.

That's in theory. I don't know what would ACTUALLY happen. It's like explaining what headline there will be in a weeks time.

But surely most the people who know you don't look at your genitalia regularly, so why not just keep it to yourself? They need never know ;-)

 

[Kaymish]

live with it i am already bi and gender is not a big part of who i am for me i reackon i could do equally well with a cock as i as i do now

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

Masterbate, see how it feels on the other side.

Yeah, me too.

Wouldn't everyone?

I mean, the question is what would you do AFTER that.
AKa.... the next month.

See how other things feel XD

yeah, the first thing that came into my head after reading the title was "fap" ( where "shlick" would be the appropriate term actually)

 

[DarthFennec]

This brings me to my actual topic - sexual reassignment surgery. This is not a flame thread to bash gay people or transexuals.

I'm confused, what does sex change surgery have to do with gays?

OT: I'd probably live with it, in the end. I'd freak out at first, but I wouldn't get surgery back. Probably would never get laid again, but I would have even less of a chance with a fake dick. And then there's the hormonal changes that would come with that, but sex change surgery doesn't actually account for that, does it? It's just cosmetic.

 

[Sgt Doom]

My question is whether or not these people need psychiatric help. It's one thing to prefer another gender identity. It's another thing entirely to cut off your genitals and reshape them into something else. With any surgery, there is risk of death and I would bet the death rate for sexual reassignment surgery is higher than zero.

A common thread among transexuals seems to be that they cannot stand having their genitals. So here's a quick test. Say you're a guy and woke up this morning without a penis, but a vagina. Or a woman who suddenly has a penis now. Would you risk your life with incredibly painful cosmetic surgery or would you find a way to accept your new body and live with it? And any transgender people / healthcare professionals, please feel free to tell me why I'm wrong and and a jerk. This is merely ignorance on my part (I don't know many people in real life) and I would genuinely like to hear differing perspectives.

Few little quibbles I have with this bit; 1: the death rate from gender reassignment surgery is no more than that from any other form of cosmetic surgery i.e. small enough to be statistically irrelevant.
2: They are put under anaesthesia before getting their bits snipped; y'know? It's not like they do it the old Navy way i.e. tie 'em down, put a gag in their mouth and start sawing away.

 

[Fearzone]

What a boring poll, I'm disappointed. So much more creative possibilities here.

 

[zelda2fanboy]

Few little quibbles I have with this bit; 1: the death rate from gender reassignment surgery is no more than that from any other form of cosmetic surgery i.e. small enough to be statistically irrelevant.
2: They are put under anaesthesia before getting their bits snipped; y'know? It's not like they do it the old Navy way i.e. tie 'em down, put a gag in their mouth and start sawing away.

1. It's not statistically irrelevant to the patients' family and friends, especially if they drop dead. Surgical complications are much more common than you might think.

2. One little tidbit I've read about male to female sex change surgeries is that post op, patients have to keep a dildo in the wound to keep it from healing itself back together again. That doesn't sound barbaric and horrifying enough? That part might be a myth, but imagine the most sensitive area of your body removed, turned inside out, and then sown back on. That might sting for a few days. Skin grafts are among the most painful surgeries and recoveries possible.

 

[tappajasieni]

I've actually quite a bit thought about this and I think I'd prefer to be a guy. So if I one day woke up and found something in my pants that wasn't there before, after the initial freakaout I'd propably be quite comfortable with it.

 

[Alphavillain]

Disturbingly, me and my friends at work have discussed this on more than one occasion.

 

[Biodeamon]

My friend actually has thought of this scenario...She'd change her name to Harold and let's just say she'd have a few wankerchiefs lying around if she found she had dangly parts....yeah, she's kind of perverted....
Personally i think it's not your naughty bits that make your gender,but what you were ORIGINALLY born with...

 

[SilentCom]

I would probably go back to sleep, obviously this is a bad dream.

 

[Dags90]

2. One little tidbit I've read about male to female sex change surgeries is that post op, patients have to keep a dildo in the wound to keep it from healing itself back together again. That doesn't sound barbaric and horrifying enough? That part might be a myth, but imagine the most sensitive area of your body removed, turned inside out, and then sown back on. That might sting for a few days. Skin grafts are among the most painful surgeries and recoveries possible.

From what I understand, the dilation is also to open the newly created vagina so it will be a suitable size for intercourse. Surgery is very often "barbaric", have you ever seen video of someone getting liposuctioned? It honestly doesn't even look professional.
See for yourself.