LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Transgender
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Transgender is an “umbrella” term used to describe a wide range of identities and experiences and is used to refer to many types of people, including transsexual people; cross-dressers (who need protections for off-the-job cross-dressing); and androgynous people. Many transgender people from a very young age feel a deep-seated identity that does not match the gender they were at birth and later in life transition to life in their new gender. No one knows exactly why people have these feelings (science has not provided answers), but medical experts have found that the only solution is to support a transgender person in a decision to transition gender.
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Transgender is a term applied to people who may act, feel, think, or look different than the gender they were given when they were born. This word is sometimes called an 'umbrella term.' That means it includes many smaller groups that share an important trait but may not be exactly the same. The common trait for transgender people is that they call themselves transgender and feel that their given gender is not quite right. Sometimes transgender is ... used by people who prefer it to the word transsexual.
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Transgender people have differing views about the diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorder. Some people see it as a positive recognition of a serious health condition and ... as a way to gain access to critically needed medical treatment for transsexual persons. Others see it as a source of stigma that implies being transgender is abnormal or pathological. Still others would like to see this diagnosis eliminated, but only when there is some other means for transgender people to gain access to medical treatment, such as recognition of transgender identity as an innate neurobiological condition. There is no simple answer to the question of whether the existence of “gender identity disorder” is good or bad.
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Transgender people may or may not have had medical sex reassignment therapy... called sex reassignment surgery, and may or may not have any interest in such a procedure. In other words, not all transgender people are necessarily transsexual.
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Transgender people experience their transgender feelings in a variety of ways. Some can trace their transgender identities or gender-atypical attitudes and behaviors back to their earliest memories. Others become aware of their transgender identities or begin to experience gender-atypical attitudes and behaviors much later in life. Some transgender people accept or embrace their transgender feelings, while others struggle with feelings of shame or confusion. Some transgender people, transsexuals in particular, experience intense dissatisfaction with their birth sex or with the gender role associated with that sex. These individuals often seek sex reassignment.
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Transgender people who wish to engage in hormone therapy should do so under a medical professional's supervision. While some transgender people may seek out or be offered "street hormones," this can present very serious health risks. Street hormones are forms of estrogen or testosterone that are shared and administered without medical supervision or a prescription. Because some hormones are injected using a syringe and needle, there is a high risk of HIV and other STI transmission. Using hormones without medical guidance can ... put you at risk for high blood pressure, liver disease, blood clots, and other serious health risks.
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Transgender