COMFORT AT LAST

Lewis, who began working with UHS during his final year of law school, says that he has pushed for further coverage because he knows first-hand the effects of being denied these services and the drastic improvement in health and well-being following treatment.

“The improvement in my health following surgery and hormones was like night and day,” he says. “The way my brain experienced my body finally matched my physical body.”

Lewis says he believes that no one should be denied medical care out of ignorance and outdated prejudice.

“For those who want them, hormones and surgery allow transsexual people to feel comfortable in their bodies for the first time,” he says.

Gregory M. Sensing, who has lived as a man for six years and is awaiting a surgery date in the near future, says he believes that these treatments are medically necessary.

“It’s stressful to go through every day of your life with this conflict of body and mind,” he says. “I’ve become very skilled at disconnecting with my body, and having that one less thing to worry about will make day-to-day life so much easier.”

While members of the transgender community at Harvard are happy that top surgery will now be covered, many agree that the change should have been made long ago.

“This is overdue,” says the senior. “People need access to medical supplies to feel whole, and Harvard is finally catching up in acknowledging that people who identify as trans have medical needs, and they’re meeting those needs.”

PATHOLOGY OR IDENTITY

Although designating this “conflict of body and mind” as a medical condition is necessary to receive medical treatment, many transgender people are uncomfortable that this conflict is classified as a disorder in the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

While the APA is currently considering a proposal to change the classification of “gender identity disorder” to “gender incongruence” in the next edition of the manual—which will be published in May 2013—most insurance policies still classify being transgender as a disorder.

Consequently, UHS’ new policy stipulates that prior to getting the surgery, individuals must consult a behavioral health professional to evaluate their needs.

“They expect a certain narrative of ‘I’ve always known I’m the other gender and I’m in the wrong body,’” says Stanford, in reference to the requirement of speaking with a psychiatrist before receiving treatment. “There are things we give medical service to but don’t or shouldn’t pathologize.”

Stanford says it would be ideal if people could have access to transgender health services without the associated stigma of transgender as a psychological disorder.