PSHE resources/gender-affirming surgeries

[sharksarecool]

Three things I've been thinking about recently. I thought about creating separate posts but decided to do one post since they are linked and I think it might end up with 3 identical threads.

1. Resources for Schools

There are a number of non-compliant, factually inaccurate resources which misrepresent the law, give circular definitions, or present opinion as fact. There are also websites like Transgender Trend which are very helpful in explaining why such resources are non-compliant. What I have been unable to find is a recommended resource which is compliant and factually accurate. So for those of us approaching our schools/PSHE co-ordinators, once we've told convinced them that their current resources are non-compliant, we have nothing to suggest as an alternative. We have the Transgender Trend Guide for Schools which is very good for explaining the law, the duty of schools, and the problems with instant affirmation/shared bathrooms. But what most schools want is a ready-made set of lesson plans, and I am not aware of anything like this existing.So, if you know of any good, ready-to-go resources, please can you post here.

2. Phalloplasty and Vaginoplasty Specifically, I am looking for resources on "gender-affirming surgery". These operations are potentially the end-point for trans-identifying children, and yet they are rarely if ever covered in teaching on gender, and don't seem to be considered by schools making decisions about young people. There is also not as much information online on these as I expected, and it tends to be medically-worded rather than easy-to-read factsheet. So please could anyone with expertise in this area please direct me to any useful websites/documents on this. I am looking for clear, accurate information on what these operations entail, and what is the final outcome of each, what the "finished product" looks like and how a neo-phallus/neo-vagina is similar/different to a real penis/vagina.

1. Resource Creation

If there are currently no compliant and factual PSHE resources on gender, and specifically phalloplasty/vaginoplasty, then someone needs to create them. I would be prepared to give some of my time to to this. My background is in teaching, though not PSHE-specific. If there is anyone else with teaching/science/medical knowledge who would also be interested in collaborating to produce a resource, then please post here or PM me.

I’m not sure that targeting 2 head on is tactical. I understand your concerns though, Jazz Jennings believed in a vagina fairy until it was too late to reverse course.
It is PSHE. Is there a general guide to what to expect in an non-trans related surgery?
So how to treat your classmate, your grandma after they have an operation.. like a knee replacement?

Transwoman’s Corinna Cohn’s Gcan.org is about informed transition related care. That might be a place to start?

@OneEpisode

I’m not sure that targeting 2 head on is tactical. I understand your concerns though, Jazz Jennings believed in a vagina fairy until it was too late to reverse course. It is PSHE. Is there a general guide to what to expect in an non-trans related surgery? So how to treat your classmate, your grandma after they have an operation.. like a knee replacement?

No, there's not a general guide on what to expect after general surgery. But then most surgery is not elective. There will almost certainly be PSHE materials on cosmetic surgery such as fillers, breast enlargement, with their associated risks, e.g. affecting ability to breastfeed. And there is also information on the process of IVF, and on its success rates, with the clear message that fertility decreases with age, to enable girls in particular to make informed choices about when to start a family.

I would look upon the vaginoplasty/phalloplasty thing in the same vein as that. It's nothing to do with how to treat other people after they've had surgery. It's about equipping the individual to make choices for themselves. It's saying that if you're thinking of starting on a transgender journey, do you know the different places that can lead, and do you want that. So if a teen wishes to socially transition, do they intend to stop at social transition or do they intend to move onto cross-sex hormones and surgery. If so, they need to know what the processes are, otherwise they can't make an informed decision.

What you've said about Jazz Jennings and the "vagina fairy" is exactly the problem. Most children genuinely believe that there is some once-and-for-all operation that will make them fully the opposite sex. That males will be able to have periods and get pregnant, and that females will be able to produce sperm and father a child. In fact, many adults seem to believe that too. I think it's essential that we teach people what can and can't be achieved by surgery, and what the risks and benefits are.

@OneEpisode thanks for the information, I will check this out.