Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., July 02, 2008 Sivan 29, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:23 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Want a sex change operation? Consider doing it in Israel By Ruth Sinai Tags: Israel A Health Ministry committee is examining ways of facilitating the procedure for sex-change operations. The committee, which includes a representative of the transgender community, was set up after the Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) organization complained that the existing procedure for approving sex-change operations was outdated and discriminatory toward transgenders. A person wishing to have a sex-change operation is required - under procedures introduced in 1986 - to obtain a medical panel's unanimous approval, pass psychiatric and psychological tests, and have lived at least two years in his or her desired gender identity. Advertisement In addition, the procedure forbids having the operation privately, and permits it only in the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. Twelve people had sex-change operations last year, and the number of requests for such operations is rising, Health Ministry officials said. Most transgenders have the operation overseas if they can afford it, to bypass the Israeli restrictions. The committee, headed by Health Ministry legal counsel Mira Hibner-Harel, is to present its recommendations by September. Other members include a PHR psychiatrist, a Tel Hashomer gynecologist, Rambam Hospital's psychiatric clinic head, the Health Ministry's chief psychologist, and a transgenders' right activist. The existing procedure reflects outdated, discriminatory assumptions that have disappeared from the social discourse, said Dr. Yuval Livnat of PHR. He commended Dr. Hezi Levy, the Health Ministry's health administration head, for deciding to set up the committee. Livnat wrote to the ministry that the ban on private sex-change operations "smacked of government supervision on people's gender and sexuality." Forcing people to wait for two years for an operation fails to take into account the period during which they lived in their desired sexual identity before approaching the committee, Livnat wrote. "There shouldn't be any supervision," said Nora Greenberg, the transgenders rights activist. "Each person is responsible for himself, he is the one living in gender distress." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Death penalty Iran hands down death sentence to man who spied for Israel. Robot hospital The place where IDF treats droids wounded in the line of fire.   1.   I resently watched a show on 20/20 about transgender kids. 04:27  |  Virginia 01/07/08   2.   gender distress 07:55  |  ari 01/07/08   3.   You can get it done in Iran also :P 12:49  |  Sadiq M 01/07/08   4.   # 3 NO WAY, MAN 13:08  |  Jeremie 01/07/08   5.   Sadiq is correct 13:52  |  Nicole 01/07/08   6.   GO FOR IT 15:22  |  observer 01/07/08   7.   @ # 4 You CAn do it in Iran 16:05  |  lolo 01/07/08   8.   Naches 16:16  |  Naches 01/07/08   9.   The Concept of Sex Changes is a Farce 16:49  |  MIKE 01/07/08   10.   RE: Jeremie`s ignorance #4 17:56  |  Sadiq M 01/07/08   11.   CONCEPT OF SEX CHANGES IS A SHAM 18:50  |  Cynthia Perella 01/07/08

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