| Gianna Israel, Diane Shaffer, Donald Tarver, "Transgender Care: Recommended Guidelines, Practical Information, and Personal Accounts", Temple Univ Press, 1 January 1998 22 |
| 22: | Transgender persons often find themselves isolated from family friends and co-workers because they have been marginalised by society. In addition they often lack reliable role models. |
| "Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee Sexuality discrimination inquiry", Australian Government, 8 August 1996 |
| | Dr Kennedy: During the two years, which is the minimum, it may be longer than that, in which we are expecting people to live in the gender to which they wish to be reassigned, at any time they may say, 'This is not appropriate for me and I wish to change.' They will have been having hormone therapy, they can stop the hormone therapy and they can go back to their original situation. Senator ABETZ: How many do that? Dr Kennedy: A lot of people do that. Quite a significant number of people do that. Following the surgery, you cannot go back again. |
| Sheila Kirk, "Medical, Legal and Workplace Issues For The Transsexual", Together Lifeworks, 31 December 1995 |
| | The transsexual is asked in this time to live, in every sense of the word, in the role of the cross gendered, to exchange and experience with all in his or her life with family, friends, workplace associates, store clerks, everyone as a member of the opposite gender. There should be no escape from this, no tampering with this, no alteration with what this period of time demands. It is a "trial by fire". It is a time of preparation and adjustment. It is not to be taken lightly by patient or counsellor. It is in my view a must! |
| Michael Ross, William Walters, "Transsexualism and Sex Reassignment", Oxford University Press, 1986 |
| | The average waiting period from first medical contact to reassignment surgery is five years and by this time, patients are usually in their early thirties. |
| p145: | If, during the two year assessment, the transsexual has been psychologically stable, well adapted to the desired sex role and accepted readily in that role in society, with a well integrated personality and secondary sexual characteristics that are not to difficult to alter, prospects for successful reassignment are good. On the other hand, when one or more of these factors are adverse, the chances of success are significantly reduced. |
| Laura Roberto, "Issues in Diagnosis and Treatment of Transsexualism", Archives of Sexual Behavior, 12:5 1983, p. 445 |
| | Reported failures in reassignment often reveal that a real-life test was not employed. |
| | A rich source of Behavioral observation is the "real-life test" originally intended as the initial phase of sex reassignment treatment. During the 1-3 year test, patients live and dress in the opposite-gender role, receive hormonal therapy, and conduct their social and vocational lives accordingly. Observations during this period indicate level of tolerance for emotional distress, degree of social skill in the adopted role, and motivation to undergo permanent sexual reorientation. |
| Claude Friedmann, Martha Kirkpatrick, "Treatment of Requests for Sex-Change Surgery with Psychotherapy", Am J Psychiatry, 133:10 October 1976 |
| | A true transsexual will last a year's test living as a member of the opposite sex, but an individual with a shallower cross-sexual identification will not. |
| | Psychotherapy during the waiting period is valuable and should be offered. |