Describes the transsexual experience and surgery to change gender, in the U.S. and worldwide, as well as the psychological, surgical, medical, social, family, and legal issues across history and now for those who undergo gender reassignment.

People born with one gender's sexual organs who are drawn physically, psychologically, and spiritually to life as a member of the opposite gender, are more common than is generally realized. In this unprecedented book, Heath introduces the transsexual mindset, explaining how identity discord develops and what the most recent research shows about a potential biological basis. She details the history of transsexuality, the psychological, social, and family issues transsexuals face, and the associated legal and human rights issues. Diagrams depicting the major elements in Gender Reassignment Surgery are included, as are explanations of the physiological and psychological effects of hormone therapy and associated procedures for transsexuals, their outcomes, and potential complications. Appendices offer lists of support groups and other resources for transsexual men, women, and family members, a link to a list of surgeons worldwide performing GRS, and a glossary of terms.

When the movie Transamerica—about a pre-operative man in the week before he became a woman—won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for an Academy Award in early 2006, cheers went up around the world from the real and growing transsexual community. In fact, people born with one gender's sexual organs who are drawn physically, psychologically, and spiritually to life as a member of the opposite gender, are more common than is generally realized. Gender reassignment surgery is being performed worldwide, from Beverly Hills to New York, and from Canada to England, Switzerland, Australia, Thailand and Hong Kong.
In this unprecedented book, Professor Heath introduces the transsexual mindset, explaining how identity discord develops and what the most recent research shows about a potential biological basis. She details the history of transsexuality, the psychological, social, and family issues transsexuals face, and the associated legal and human rights issues. Diagrams depicting the major elements in Gender Reassignment Surgery are included, as are explanations of the physiological and psychological effects of hormone therapy and associated procedures for transsexuals, their outcomes, and potential complications. The book covers pioneers in gender reassignment such as sexologist Harry Benjamin, M.D., and famous transsexed people including Christine Jorgenson, who made headlines worldwide in 1952 and 1953. Appendices offer lists of support groups and other resources for transsexual men, women, and family members, a link to a list of surgeons worldwide performing GRS, a glossary of transsexed terms, and a summary of the Harry Benjamin Gender Dysphoria Association, the largest international organization focused on transsexuality.