Help! Abnormal Psychology

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2007

i would suggest that you approach this like you would any other medical condition. look up the diagnosis and find the signs and symptoms, diagnostic tests done to determine the presence of this condition, and the treatment modalities that are available. the people with this condition deal with it for many years. while some may have the intersex surgery, not all do. there are many things that must be done in preparation for the surgery. as a nurse you need to be aware of what those treatments would be, so if faced with a male patient who is taking female hormones you will understand why. this is no different than having a patient with any other disease process and having a knowledge of what the drugs and treatment involved are. the difference here might be in the oddity from the norm as well as the amount of psychiatric counseling and care that is also required. i think your major problem is going to be finding the information. i honestly wouldn't even know where to begin looking on the internet! first of all, you need to know the correct terms.

how does this knowledge help you in the role as a nurse in the clinical setting? as with any other medical condition, it helps you to anticipate what kinds of problems and needs these patients have so you can be alert to them. how does any knowledge of any medical condition help you in your role as a nurse in the clinical setting?

my brother who drives an 18-wheeler told me of a big burly driver who worked for their company who had intersex surgery done recently. the man was quiet and kept to himself most of the time. he struck up a conversation with my brother and he found my brother a good listener and told his story. of course, my brother was on the phone with me as soon as he had a chance to tell me about this as he was flabbergasted. the man had agonized for years because he felt like he should have been a female. the decision to have the surgery was made years before and he had been seen by a couple of psychiatrists. he had been on hormone replacement for some time in preparation for this. he had had permanent hair removal done as well. he had been carefully selecting his new female wardrobe and his date of surgery was approaching. he only talked to a few people about this because he had been humiliated or just given the cold shoulder by others. so, he picked his friends carefully.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2007

here are a couple links for you to check out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sex_assignment - sex assignment

http://www.thetransgendercenter.com/ - philadelphia center for transgender surgery. lot of information at this site.

pinklily84 · Jan 25, 2007

Thanks for the information, ya u r right, very hard 2 find information. Btw I always heard abt sex change from man to woman,neve the other way round. Do u hav websites of how the op is done for a woman to man?

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2007

No, I don't. However, the website for the Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery seemed like it had an awful lot of information on it. You should probably explore that site.

al7139, ASN, RN · Jan 26, 2007

Keep in mind that these patients are often uncomfortable discussing their emotional and psychosocial issues. Many people who are transsexuals (classified under gender dysphorias), have experienced prejudice due to their courageous decision to pursue sex change. The family of the patient is often unsupportive, adding to the patients emotions distress. The criteria for a sex change follows strict guidelines, and extensive counseling must be done before a person is considered as a surgical candidate. I have heard that male to female transformations are much more common than female to male.

I would concentrate on the fact that we cannot let our own personal beliefs affect our care of this patient, provide emotional support, and investigate resources in the community that are available to help this patient with their transition.

A pshychiatric nursing text may be a good resource for your info that you need.