I've known my gender was not binary sine I was only a few years old. Something didn't seem quite right. When I turned about 11... I started to develop breasts. I have tried and tried to feel okay about it, but it seems so wrong. I have bound for a few years with sports bras and binders, but I already have a decreased lung capacity from asthma, and I simply don't get enough air in- even with a properly sized binder. For the last three years, I have been exploring permenant options. With my insurance in Texas, I cannot get top surgery without gender counseling and 'corrective therapy'. Breast cancer runs in my family, and I learned last year of genetic testing to determine predisposition for it. As you've provably read, this is what Angelina Jolie had done. The treatment, completely covered by my insurance (no gender questions asked), would give me top surgery. How do I bring this up to a doctor and do you think it is morally incorrect to dupe them?
you'd probably just have to ask for a test to see how likely you are to get breast cancer. if the chance is high enough, you could probably be asked to be recommended to a surgeon who can give you a double masectomy. people have done worse things than tell a couple lies to a doctor... :icon_wink
I'm not really sure how this is "duping". Even if the breast cancer thing is decidedly ancillary to your main reason for wanting to explore top surgery, the risk you encounter as a female-bodied individual in a family in which breast cancer seems to persist is real and potentially life-threatening. I honestly couldn't blame anyone for proceeding with surgery in such a circumstance and I'm betting that a lot of doctors would agree. After all, they are schooled in the ethic of wellness above all else, reasons for pursuing it are decidedly secondary. Maybe some would have a moral issue with it, but they're paid to be doctors, not philosophers. Get the surgery, I say, if that's what you want and enjoy a clear conscience.
This is exactly what I needed.... There was a part of me saying it was wrong, even though I know it isn't. It applies to mental and physical health. I know it won't happen for a long time, but it still gives me time thing to look forward to. Wanna' trade chests?
