Sixteen-year-old Becomes Spain's Youngest Transsexual

A Spanish sixteen-year-old recently transitioned from male to female making her the country's youngest transsexual (via surgery), The Guardian reports. The teen, who isn't named in the article, had been under the care of doctors and psychiatrists for several years and on hormones for a year before the procedure took place.

Because the legal age to undergo transition surgery in Spain (as in most places in the world) is 18, when it's agreed upon by authorities that those considering the procedure have reached their physical, mental, and legal maturity, the teen's parents were forced to petition the court on behalf of their child to gain permission, which was granted after the judge heard testimony from medical experts.

Dr Ivan Manero, who conducted the operation, believes it would be easier for trans people if they were allowed to transition before their 18th birthdays. "It is a condition that one is born with but which you cannot operate for until they are 18 years old," said Manero. "That, for a doctor, is something of a shock. No one could imagine that if your child was born with, say, leukaemia, we would say we must wait until 18 before operating," he said, adding, "the younger the patient is, the simpler the operation generally is."

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