Print

x INTRODUCTION many options for the gender transition (gender affirmation) process and the health risks associated with certain procedures. However, health is not simply about what happens in the doctorÊs office, the medical clinic, or the hospital. In this volume, health is broadly defined by drawing on the famous formulation from the preamble to the constitution of the World Health Organization: „Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.‰ Transgender people are a small minority of the worldÊs population and are often victims of discrimination and persecution. Any consideration of transgender health must therefore take into account the stress and strain that comes from living in the world of as part of a misunderstood and sometimes despised minority group. It must also consider the impact of widespread discrimination against transgender people, and the very real risk of being assaulted or even killed due to oneÊs transgender status. It would be a mistake to dwell only on the negative, however. In recent years weÊve seen a host of transgender people, both celebrities and private citizens, come forward to identify themselves and tell their stories to the public. Young people today seem more willing to accept gender identity as a continuum rather than a simple binary, are less concerned with polic- ing other peopleÊs choices regarding gender expression, and are simply more willing to embrace the variety of human existence rather than forcing people into a preexisting schema. Many governments and private entities are also beginning to acknowledge the diversity of gender identities that exist in the world, and enacting laws and policies to protect the rights of those who may not fit the gender binary model. Education is a key factor in overcoming prejudice, and Transgender Health Issues hopes to make a contribution to that effort while at the same time empowering transgender people and their allies with knowledge that will help them live their best lives.