Autralia sallii 13 vuotiaan sukupuolenvaihdon

BBC kertoo sivuillaan Australian sallivan 13-vuotiaan "Alexin" sukupuolenvaihdos-operaation.

"Alex", is biologically a girl, but wishes to be considered and referred to as a male.

Brought up as a boy by his father, he opts to wear nappies to school rather than use female toilets.

Ymmärrettävästi päätös on aiheuttanut runsaasti hämminkiä...

It was criticised by Nicholas Tonti-Filipini, a prominent ethicist at a Catholic institute.

"This medical treatment [is] completely unproven, even in adults," he was quoted as saying.

"To do it to a 13-year-old who is still in formation, whose body is still forming, whose sense of identity is still forming, it's just irresponsible."

But Louise Newman, a spokeswoman for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, said it had been a sensible decision.

"Here the degree of stress is so great that going through the hormonal and bodily changes of puberty would actually be too distressing for the child to tolerate," she reportedly said.

Hoito tullaan jaksottamaan niin, ettei peruuttamattomia muutoksi tule ennen kuin "Alex" on 16-vuotias. Tällöin aloitetaan testosteroidi hoito, ja lopullinen leikkaus tehdään hänen ollessa 18-vuotias...

O tempora, o mores...