Medically based question... How are exams done on transgender people?

[Hidden_P]

I spent a lot of time in hospitals (no I don't work in one) but I speak to lots of doctors and nurses.

The conversation cropped up because apparently my dad had a cervical smear done and it was fine (it was a mistake) but it led to the question of how do you do a sexual exam on a transgender person?

To me this totally stumped me. I could see how it could be done on a man who changed to a woman but what about the other way around? Surely the exam needs to be done on the cervix? In which case how do you get there? I'm totally confused!!

Can anyone shed any light?

[Hans222]

I guess they start by assessing "what" is actually there: what has been constructed and what has been removed.
Something that isn't there anymore can't be checked out of course. And I'd assume they'd need to check with the docs who did the surgery to know what exactly they'll find.
But I'm not an expert. It's logical thinking :D

[Hans222]

Thanks for the MH :D

[KittieCat]

My mother is a doctor, and this is how she explained it to me. Usually when checking in you'll feel out a sheet that state your sex and what you are preferred to be called or the doctor/MA/RN will ask. From there they will call you by whatever pronoun you like but treat you by whatever sex you are.

[Hidden_P]

No I mean an actual exam.
Like if you were a man and became a woman or the other way around.
Usually you would have a cervix exam or a testicle exam. What happens if you are transgender, eg not natural. What gets checked and how?

[KittieCat]

Yeah you'll get treated by whatever sex / new sex you've become. If it's a male to female transition usually they'll check the area to make sure the procedure has gone right and there's no complications from the surgery. They may take an MRI to check the surrounding area. Same for female to male, making sure urinating is alright and everything works well and isn't causing anything bad.

[Hidden_P]

But surely when inspecting different techniques are needed? To be fair I don't know the surgery in depth but it's got my head spinning!!

[KittieCat]

Of course and not all doctors are experienced. It's sorta just inspecting in general to see if it's okay and how the patient feels. Since it's rather new there aren't any solid techniques developed unfortunately. I hope they do get something down into books or online soon so it can help doctors

[Hidden_P]

I remember my dads nurse was quite open with us - partly because we went daily and partly because they knew each other years beforehand. But she admitted she didn't know what to do. She was glad to be retiring because she was like it just baffles me, I don't know if I'm doing wrong

[Anonymous]

Your dad got a cervical smear?

[Hidden_P]

It was a cock up. He didn't.

[Opinion Owner]

Cock up?

[Hidden_P]

As I said in the question. It was a mistake.

I don't know the details but maybe samples were mixed up, maybe one someone had a similar name, maybe one someone was really drunk, maybe unicorns stole the sample.

It was a mistake. It was a cock up (meaning an accident). It was a slip up.

Not sure how many more ways I can explain this.

[Anonymous]

They wouldn't have a cervix...

[Hidden_P]

But the surgery only changes the outside looks? The internal organs stay the same?