As nurses , everything we do should be in the very best interest of our patient . We treat all patients with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings , with the infinite worth and potential that implies .
Transgender People and Sexuality It is important to note that being transgender is not a sexuality , although sexual orientation and gender identities are grouped together in the LGBTQIA2S acronym . A transwoman who is attracted to women ( whether she is a cis-women or trans-women ) may describe herself as a lesbian . If she is also attracted to men ( cis or trans ), she might describe herself as bisexual . Another common term is pansexual , which describes attraction to another person without any regard for gender or sexual hardware .
A transwoman may choose to get breast augmentation surgery , in order to align her outward appearance with the sense of gender she feels inside . This is referred to as top surgery . Bottom surgery for her would involve surgically removing the penis and testicles , leaving a small stub of erectile muscle as a clitoris and creating a female looking urethral opening . The skin of the penis is used to create an internal tunnel , and scrotal skin is filled with subcutaneous fat and sewn into place to act as the inner and outer labia . Transwomen are sometimes referred to as MTF , or male to female .
Top surgery for a transman involves a double mastectomy , leaving only a thin layer of skin over the pectoral muscles . Bottom surgery involves a radical hysterectomy , followed by surgical closure of the skin that once housed the vaginal opening . A vein is used to extend the urethra , and a muscle tissue autograft is supported by an inflatable penile implant ( U of U , 2020 ) to create a functioning penis . Those who are in the early stages of expressing their identified gender or who choose not to have top surgery may wear a chest binder . A transman friend of mine described this as being like Spanx for your chest . Transmen are sometimes referred to as FTM , or female to male .
Respect and Dignity It is important to remember that however we refer to trans people , we do it with the maximum respect and dignity . Just as there is no one way to be trans or to experience gender , there is no one universally accepted way to speak about it . Some consider the terms “ MTF ” and “ FTM ” okay ; others find them offensive . Their thinking is that if they have never felt male , for example , they cannot be male to female ; they are and have always been female . Many terms have been updated , and it is important to be familiar with them . “ Transgendered ” implies that the person has caught an unfortunate transgender virus . Transgender is a better term . Gender reassignment surgery implies the same as FTM or MTF – that the person was once a gender they have never actually felt . A much better term is gender affirmation surgery because the surgical team are visually reaffirming the gender felt inside . Similarly , transitioning is a term that should be avoided ; the person believes he or she is not changing from one gender to another . The person is trying to make the outside look more like the inside in order to eliminate gender dysphoria .
Pronouns Worthy of its own section here is how we address and refer to our transgender patients . When speaking directly to a transgender
20 NSNA IMPRINT n FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021 n www . nsna . org