Transgender and the Health Service in Ireland?

Freiheit

A concern of mine is what it would be like to require hospital care in the future (such as an operation) or if I needed to go a nursing home in my old age?. What is one treated like ? Is there obstacles that I should be fearful of?.
Danke schoen
F

deirdre_dub

Freiheit wrote: »

A concern of mine is what it would be like to require hospital care in the future (such as an operation) or if I needed to go a nursing home in my old age?. What is one treated like ? Is there obstacles that I should be fearful of?.
Danke schoen
F

Not sure what it is that you are afraid might happen. That the health service will treat you as a male?

If you are legally female, and present as female, then you can expect them to treat you as female. As for what's between your legs and how that might affect your treatment - the good surgeons can produce almost flawless results. But, even if, for some reason, you need to expose your medical past, you can expect it to be treated in the same way as any other medical information you may need to disclose - with sensitivity and confidentiality.

That, of course, is the ideal. You might be unlucky and get an *sshole of a surgeon/doctor/consultant/whatever. But there is nothing you can do to prepare for or prevent that possibility. If it happens, it happens, and you'll have to deal with it.

I'm just after coming from my credit union where I had to present photographic identity. I'm full-time female, but the only photographic identity I have is my male passport (I'll be changing it in a few weeks). So, I had to tell the clerk that I'm transgender, and that the guy in the passport is actually me. She didn't bat an eyelid. I suspect you are more than likely to get the same kind of response from the health service.

Freiheit

Thanks...I was just wondering what it would be like to need treatment in young or in old age.....What happens to elderly trans people? I'm a long way off that but wondering whether care homes etc would be hospitable.

deirdre_dub

Freiheit wrote: »

I'm a long way off that

Indeed - there are far far more pressing things IMNSHO that you need to be concerning yourself with. By the time stuff like nursing homes become things you need to start thinking about, not only will you be a completely different person, society should be quite different too.

Freiheit

Is the workshop in a few weeks at Outhouse to do with the Health Service as a Transsexual?.

I intend to remain young always, even when I'm old....I'll always be young at heart...don't intend to age gracefully!:cool:

deirdre_dub

Freiheit wrote: »

Is the workshop in a few weeks at Outhouse to do with the Health Service as a Transsexual?.

Erm, what workshop is this? There is a TENI open day in Temple Bar in a few weeks, but I wasn't aware of anything happening in Outhouse.

Freiheit

Maybe it is Temple Bar then, I just assumed it was Outhouse...I may attend....could be food for my brain!:)

Speak Now

Woman on Brendan O'Connor now, did he call her Irelands first transgendered woman???

Louisevb

I missed O'Connor but that was Rebecca De Havalland... She wasn't the first transgendered person to be public in Ireland. This was Michael Dillon a female to male transgendered man born 1915.

http://www.transgenderzone.com/features/michaeldillon.htm

To be totally correct.... No transgendered person has any legal identity in law currently. Until the Gender Recogntion Act becomes law while a name can be changed by deed poll, there is no obligation on any state body to recognise a person legally solely by their new deed poll name.

If a trans person presents at a hospital for treatment in their acquired gender, while hospitals and doctors will in the most part deal professionally, there is no legal obligation on them to do so. If a trans person were to find a doctor who for religious reasons decided not to treat them then there is nothing that they can do in law. While that is highly unlikely it could happen. By the same token under section 37 of the Employment Equality Act 1998/2004 under the religious exemption clause there is no sanction that the hospital can take against the health professional in question.

That is why the European Convention on Human Rights Articles 8 and 12 guaranteeing the right to privacy are so important and why the Foy case of 21st June 2010 has such enormous legal importance in Ireland for transgendred people.

Louisevb

Freiheit wrote: »

Maybe it is Temple Bar then, I just assumed it was Outhouse...I may attend....could be food for my brain!:)

That meeting is in Templebar and is important because TENI want feedback from the transgendered community in moving issues that are important forward.
Anyone who has an interest in transgendered issues should attend.

Freiheit

So things like passports can legally be changed?.

Annasopra

Freiheit wrote: »

So things like passports can legally be changed?.

Yes passports can - not sure what else

deirdre_dub

Freiheit wrote: »

So things like passports can legally be changed?.

Passports, driving licenses, bank cards - everything but your birth cert.

Indeed, the Deed Poll requires you to change your name on everything. One of the things you are signing when you sign the Deed Poll is something to the effect of "I will never ever again use my old name in any of my dealings with anyone". So you must change your name on everything.