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is dedicated to the acceptance, medical treatment, and legal protection of individuals correcting the misalignment of their brains and their anatomical sex, while supporting their transition into society.
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| The Human Genome And HBS: An Opportunity For Further Study |
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| Opinion - Thompson & Gaughan | |||
| Lisa Thompson & Sharon Gaughan | |||
| Sunday, 18 May 2008 17:00 | |||
Springfield, VA, USA. Individuals born with Harry Benjamin Syndrome (HBS) present a unique opportunity for researchers to assess the existence and implications of an interesting and persistent birth condition.  In light of previous work on decoding the human genome and the emergent 1000 Genomes Project, study of the HBS population can illuminate the origin of HBS and its treatment, while offering a useful baseline when assessing other medical variations potentially detectable via genomic studies. Examples of further work could include intersex conditions, identical twin studies, and much more. This summary offers general information on HBS and presents an informal declaration of an interesting study opportunity worthy of consideration.
Background
Harry Benjamin Syndrome (HBS) is a medical condition that develops before birth, resulting in a misalignment between an individual’s innate brain sex and physical anatomy. For example, such a person is neurobiologically female but exhibits male sexual anatomy. The same is true for neurobiological males with female externals.
The HBS designation progressively supersedes the traditional and less precise terminology (such as transsexual or transsexuality).
HBS is a prior condition for those who have successfully corrected their physical anatomy and brought it into alignment with their brain sex. Following transition, such individuals are no longer HBS.
Current Situation
Men and women with a history of HBS are a unique — but virtually unutilized — resource for research studies. Men with HBS histories are unencumbered with long-term exposure to testosterone prior to transition. HBS women do not have menstrual histories and are non-menopausal.
Both HBS men and women exhibit the measurable consequences of hormone therapy (HT) and related medication.
Even though women with a history of HBS have never been through menopause, doctors, endocrinologists and other medical practioners still use traditional practice and deny the appropriate types of estrogen and sufficient dosages to their Male-to-Female (M2F) patients when prescribing hormones.
This practice derives from studies of women who have been prescribed hormone combinations with known deleterious effects and projecting those effects to all estrogen-inclusive regimens.
This is a biased practice based on uninformed presumptions that such patients seek pretense and can not be considered as females and males in their target anatomical configuration. Much of the confusion derives from a failure by practitioners to distinguish between HBS and paraphilia.
HBS Identification
The existence of the post-op HBS-born offers the opportunity for informative baseline comparisons when studying the unique health concerns of all men and women, HBS or not.
Problem. There is no empirical method or established neurobiological markers that accurately identify Harry Benjamin Syndrome (HBS fna transsexuality). Current protocols rely on self-identification and psychological evaluation. An empirical and replicable method of identification is needed to confirm the HBS diagnosis. Moreover, downsteam studies of certain intersex conditions are hampered by the lack of a suitable baseline for comparison.
Hypothesis. The HBS genome is identifiable and sufficiently distinct to accurately confirm the HBS diagnosis. Current technology and methods offer the opportunity to confirm or disprove the HBS hypothesis.
Method. By making baseline comparisons between the genomes of directly comparable populations, genomic variations can be observed, catalogued, and compared.
Constraints. The study groups should be recruited and managed to minimize the variable effects of both (a) sexual orientation and (b) self-diagnostic anomalies. To that end:
Study Design. The proposed approach consists of, at minimum, the following elements.
Predictions
  Ms. Lisa Jain Thompson is the Co-Founder & President of TS-Si, Inc. She also serves as a Contributing Editor. Ms. Sharon Gaughan is the Co-Founder, VP, and Executive Director of TS-Si, Inc. She also serves as the Managing Editor and columnist. The TS-Si News Service is a collaborative effort by TS-Si.org editors, contributors, and corresponding institutions. The sources can include the cited individuals and organizations, as well as TS-Si.org staff contributions. Articles and news reports do not necessarily convey official positions of TS-Si, its partners, or affiliates. Â
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The TS-Si News Service is a collaboration of TS-Si staff, contributors, and corresponding institutions. Contents do not necessarily convey official positions of TS-Si, its partners, or affiliates