From the Editor
Happy first day of spring!
The theme of gender identity has been getting a lot of attention in the media lately–from Facebook expanding its options to more than 50 ways for members to declare their gender identity, to in-depth coverage of transgender issues in magazine articles, radio and TV. Not to mention the topic emerging in art, literature, music and film.
Only a portion of the population that identifies itself as transgender, transsexual, or one of the many categories falling under those terms, seeks medical procedures such as hormone replacement therapy or surgical procedures (sex reassignment therapy, formerly known as sex change surgery) to transition to another gender role.
Whether your institution is involved in gender transition procedures or not, they have become part of today’s medical and social landscape. Although the topic is controversial, we hope you’ll find this issue thought- provoking. As always, you are welcome to email us with your thoughts at [email protected].
Julie Lancaster
Editor
P.S. Come visit the NIFA booth–Booth #3853–at the AORN Surgical Conference & Expo, March 30-April 2 in Chicago.
“You don’t have to be just male or female on Facebook anymore,” begins an Feb. 2014 article on FoxNews.com: Male, Female or ‘Custom’? Facebook announces 50 ways to define gender.
“The social media giant is adding a customizable option with about 50 different terms people can use to identify their gender as well as three preferred pronoun choices: him, her or them. . .
“The Williams Institute, a think tank based at the University of California, Los Angeles, estimates that there are at least 700,000 individuals in the U.S. who identify as transgender, an umbrella term that includes people who live as a gender different from the one assigned to them at birth.
“The move by Facebook represents a basic and yet significant form of recognition of the nation’s growing transgender rights movement, which has been spurred by veteran activists and young people who identify as transgender at younger and younger ages.”
Do No Harm: Intersex Surgeries and the Limits of Certainty by Elizabeth Reis, Nursing Clio, an open access, peer-reviewed, collaborative blog project that ties historical scholarship to present-day issues related to gender and medicine.
Sex Change Operations: The Science, Sociology and Psychology from LiveScience.com
Manning: How Does Gender Reassignment Work? Private Bradley Manning is seeking gender reassignment and requests to be known as Chelsea Manning, from LiveScience.com
After 20 Years, Transgender Inmate Is A Step Closer To Surgery, by Tovia Smith, NPR
Transgender Surgery at 16, by Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker
About a Girl: Coy Mathis’ Fight to Change Gender. By the time Coy Mathis was four years old, he knew one thing was for sure: that he wasn’t a boy. By Sabrina Rubin Erdely, Rolling Stone
Surgical Anatomy – Student Edition by Archibald Industries. This classic by Joseph Maclise was originally published in 1859 and is now available on the Mac. This App includes more than 180 high-quality images from 68 color plates with accompanying annotations and complete text. Illustrations zoom and scroll (like a photo); Wolfram Alpha, Wikipedia, Ask.com and other medical search engines are built right into the app. Compatibility: Requires iOS 4.0 or later. Compatible with iPad.
RNFAs, APRNs and Implementing an RNFA Team will answer many of your questions. If you need answers more quickly, please see the links below or just call us at 1-800-922-7747. We will be happy to discuss any questions you may have and discuss the benefits to staff, surgeons and administrators of having an RNFA team at your facility.Prerequisites for becoming an RNFA