ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

A Change of Sex

Sometimes, people feel like they were born with the wrong body. For example, a person who was born with a body that looks like a boy but feels like a girl on the inside may want to change their body to become a girl.

This is called a change of sex, and it involves a lot of different things. First, a person might start by talking to a doctor or therapist, who can help them understand their feelings and make a plan for how to change their body.

One of the most common ways to change sex is to take some special medicines or hormones that can make a person's body more like the other sex. This might mean taking pills or getting shots regularly, kind of like how you might take medicine if you have a cold.

But sometimes, taking hormones isn't enough. In this case, a person might need to have surgery to make their body look and function more like the other sex.

For example, a person who wants to become a girl might have surgery to remove their old boy parts and make a new vagina. Or, someone who wants to become a boy might have surgery to create a new penis.

Changing your sex is a big decision, and it can take a long time and a lot of work. But for some people, it's the best way to feel comfortable in their own skin and be who they truly are inside.