Is There An Official Opinion On Sex Changes?

[musturde]

I've been curious to find out the Church's stance on sex changes. From what I understand, some Christian groups tend to avoid the question by saying this matter depends on the intentions of the person. Also a fun fact: It is illegal to be gay in Iran but sex changes are legal and some are funded by the state.

[Basilisa Marie]

From what I understand, if a baby is born transsexual it's not immoral for corrective surgery to be done. But strictly speaking, if we're talking about "I'm a man in a woman's body" kind of sex change, those are always immoral. Intentions don't matter.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='Basilisa Marie' timestamp='1320107025' post='2329562']
From what I understand, if a baby is born transsexual
[/quote]
That's not what that means.

[Groo the Wanderer]

follow the chromosomes.

[arfink]

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' timestamp='1320110223' post='2329597']
That's not what that means.
[/quote]

In the cases of children born with deformed genitals they still have either male or female genetics. Reconstructive surgery for these cases is perfectly acceptable, assuming you're not going to try and raise a boy as a girl by "reconstructing" him into a girl. That would be bad.

[Ed Normile]

I think it falls under the , thou shall not lop off what God has made rule. But seriously folks, I believe we are to feel are bodies are perfect gifts from God to house or souls, made the way he intended us to be...

ed

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='arfink' timestamp='1320113156' post='2329658']

In the cases of children born with deformed genitals they still have either male or female genetics. Reconstructive surgery for these cases is perfectly acceptable, assuming you're not going to try and raise a boy as a girl by "reconstructing" him into a girl. That would be bad.
[/quote]

That's what I meant. Not XXY transsexual, etc. I was too vague.

[musturde]

Thank you all!

[Socrates]

In the absence of a true physical problem with the genitalia in need of surgical correction, it's a mortal sin of mutilation.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='arfink' timestamp='1320113156' post='2329658']

In the cases of children born with deformed genitals they still have either male or female genetics. Reconstructive surgery for these cases is perfectly acceptable, assuming you're not going to try and raise a boy as a girl by "reconstructing" him into a girl. That would be bad.
[/quote]
Still not what that means.
You're talking about a hermaphrodite. A transsexual is one who was born with a clearly defined set of genitalia yet for some reason believes himself to be of the wrong sex.

[MithLuin]

True hermaphrodites are (essentially) unheard of in humans, because the same parts that become the testes in males become the ovaries in females. It's *really* difficult to get both, and impossible for them both to be functional AFAIK.

Brief intro into how babies grow into boys or girls normally: [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_differentiation]Wikipedia[/url]

A person who is born with sexual characteristics that differ from the typical male or female charactersitics is often labeled [url=http://www.isna.org/faq/what_is_intersex]Intersex[/url]. This person is not transsexual, nor are they typically a hermaphrodite. Surgical intervention may be called for in infancy (baby needs a functional urethra of some sort), but is typically not recommended to make the baby more 'typically' male or female. Depending on which condition the baby is born with, the parents would be advised on whether to raise the child as male or female.

While genetics are certainly significant in determining gender, it is not simply the case that females are all XX and males are all XY, end of story. Rather, an individual who is XY with androgen insensitivity (no response to testosterone) would develop into a normal female (and probably not even know that she was XY). A male with Klinefelter syndrome has XXY sex chromosomes and is typically sterile. Women with Turner Syndrome have only one X chromosome in each cell (and are typically sterile). A person with mosaicism has different chromosomes in different cells, so whether they are (say) XY or XXY would..depend. Swyer Syndrome is another example of a female with XY chromosomes, though she will not go through puberty (of any sort) without taking hormones.



[b]Transsexuals[/b] are people who develop into physically normal males or females (from birth through puberty and adulthood, usually), but for whatever reason identify themselves as the opposite gender. I imagine that would be a very difficult situation to deal with, and I'm sure many people finding themselves in this position would need lots of support and counseling to help them find their way in life. This is not about the little boy who likes to play with barbies or wear pink; this is about little boys who want to cut off their penises. That's not exactly healthy or normal, but hardly something they are going to just get over or forget about, either.



As far as I know, the Catholic Church never supports surgery to alter the gender identity of an individual. Counseling to help cope with how to live in the body you have would likely be the recommendation, though I doubt that is a popular suggestion for transsexuals. Unfortunately, the surgery offers a bit of a false promise, as it does not actually make one into a male or a female. There's a lot more to it than that, of course.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

Peace be with you all...
I agree with most said, we are definately born male and female and the male or female can be born disabled or abled,possibly haemaphrodites exist, i don't know,but if so than it needs to be more socially acceptable to be a haemaphrodite. Unsure of the sexual function of such a person if they actually exist, i will take your word on saying that if there are haemaphrodites there gentials wouldn't function so i guess it leads me back to the passage when jesus said "some are born chaste,some become chaste for the kingdom of heaven and some are made chaste by the world(i assume that means overtime.)". I believe it is a matter of that chastity needs to be more socially and moraly acceptable in the world paticularily amongst the youth, we need to teach them that it is ok to be chaste before marriage or even for there whole lives and can lead a perfectly acceptable life in this manner whether called to religious order or not, and saint paul recommends many times of abstinance even in marriage. aight if i go on it will become a ramble.

P.s. In my city it seems to be socially acceptable for people with interlectual disabilities to be sexual active,this makes me sad because i assume they where born to be chaste.And can be taught this,There pretty smart you know if you make the time for them.This is all a consequence of the drug and sexual revolution i assume,it has done over 50 years of damage,hopefully with the grace of god it will only take half that time to repair the damge done.

God bless you all.Onward christian souls.
JC "seek and ye shall find." "knock and the door will be opened."

St Paul "Persistance bears fruits of hope."