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This essay describes an instrumental advocate's development, engagement, and accomplishments in transgender health at the intersection of law and medicine. Reflecting on the evolution of insurance policy reforms in conjunction with the need to increase the availability of clinicians who can understand and respectfully treat transgender patients, the author demonstrates how visibility, tenacity, and ingenuity can create far-reaching change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on uterine transplantation and donation in transgender individuals. Topics include decreasing social stigmatization, improved insurance coverage, and expanding access to gender-affirmation surgery; and cisgender woman cannot carrying a pregnancy due to either lack of a uterus or a malfunctioning uterus.

The article presents the discussion on the use of puberty suppression becoming widely accepted as part of health care for transgender adolescents. Topics include having serious consequences for transgender adolescents, their families, and their care providers; and caused by legal judgements interfering with necessary medical treatment for transgender youth.

Background The legal status of transgender (trans) people is in constant flux. Over the past 70 years, gradually increasing transgender visibility, national and global advocacy, and, more recently, widespread Internet access, communication, and broadening support from allies, have all contributed to successful campaigns that have improved transgender lives and legitimised transgender. Still, traumatic interactions with the legal system or policing agencies remain plentiful. This is a very general overview of the most common legal issues confronting trans people. It aims to inform medical and mental health providers about the trepidation with which their patients and clients must engage legal systems, and the scope of their concerns, which ultimately affect their health. This review relies upon reports generated by advocacy organisations based on population surveys in several countries, the projects undertaken by legal and human rights advocacy groups, the topics most frequently discussed in academic texts examining transgender legal issues, and draws upon the author's personal advocacy experience. The most complicated and persistent issues are identity recognition, family law and relationship issues, adverse discrimination and anti-transgender violence and its aftermath. Criminal law, almost universally, treats trans people according to the lowest common denominator, their genital status, which supposedly supports expediency and "safety". Global legal and human rights efforts remain desperately needed to lift transgender people from the margins of society and provide them with equal opportunities to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Access to appropriate and meaningful health care is a crucial element necessary to affirm the humanity of any person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the views of the author on the use of Gender-neutral pronouns (GNPs). Topics discussed include simply patterns logical thinkers recognized after the language had proven itself effective; value of honoring the pronouns requested by trans people; and GNP as a useful and effective tool for clear communication.

The article offers information on identity recognition statement of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Topics discussed include opposition to surgery or sterilization as requirements to change legal gender; express gender identity for optimal physical and mental health; and medical and other barriers to gender recognition for transgender individuals.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experiences having sex reassignment from female to male.

In this paper we examine the social and legal conditions in which many transgender people (often called trans people) live, and the medical perspectives that frame the provision of health care for transgender people across much of the world. Modern research shows much higher numbers of transgender people than were apparent in earlier clinic-based studies, as well as biological factors associated with gender incongruence. We examine research showing that many transgender people live on the margins of society, facing stigma, discrimination, exclusion, violence, and poor health. They often experience difficulties accessing appropriate health care, whether specific to their gender needs or more general in nature. Some governments are taking steps to address human rights issues and provide better legal protection for transgender people, but this action is by no means universal. The mental illness perspective that currently frames health-care provision for transgender people across much of the world is under scrutiny. The WHO diagnostic manual may soon abandon its current classification of transgender people as mentally disordered. Debate exists as to whether there should be a diagnosis of any sort for transgender children below the age of puberty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]