Just to make it clear, we're - or at least I'm - not talking here about NHS work, but whether breast implants should be allowed at all. (I don't think there's a national policy, but in general PCTs don't in fact pay for breast implants for trans women.) Personally I don't see that anyone has the right to forbid other people to have that surgery, if they are willing to pay for it and are competent adults, any more than they have the right to forbid them to drink a bottle of whiskey or smoke a cigarette, neither of which seems to be on the political agenda.
Nor am I talking about large breasts, however you'd like to define them. There's a good deal of misinformation in the form of lurid redtop headlines about the costs and normal procedures in this and other areas related to transition, and also who pays for them, with sexualised references to "large knockers", etc. all being part of that discourse. If you're interested, I can point you to an up-to-date piece of research on the actual costs of transition (both ftm and mtf) in the UK, published within the last month.
If you're going to make an exception for psychological damage in the case of reconstructive surgery, you might also want to consider the psychological effect of implants in the case of trans women, who differ from flat-chested cis women in having a lifetime of being told that they aren't women at all, and whose condition is even now treated by the medical establishment as a psychiatric one (although this is controversial). I don't say it's a knock-down case, but then I don't think knock-down cases are to be had in this area. Drawing up the criteria for a panel to decide which women were worthy of being allowed to have breast implants, and which should be denied it on the grounds of vanity, would be a very difficult thing to do. As I don't believe in making other people's choices for them, however, I'm glad to say it's not my problem. :)
no subject
Nor am I talking about large breasts, however you'd like to define them. There's a good deal of misinformation in the form of lurid redtop headlines about the costs and normal procedures in this and other areas related to transition, and also who pays for them, with sexualised references to "large knockers", etc. all being part of that discourse. If you're interested, I can point you to an up-to-date piece of research on the actual costs of transition (both ftm and mtf) in the UK, published within the last month.
If you're going to make an exception for psychological damage in the case of reconstructive surgery, you might also want to consider the psychological effect of implants in the case of trans women, who differ from flat-chested cis women in having a lifetime of being told that they aren't women at all, and whose condition is even now treated by the medical establishment as a psychiatric one (although this is controversial). I don't say it's a knock-down case, but then I don't think knock-down cases are to be had in this area. Drawing up the criteria for a panel to decide which women were worthy of being allowed to have breast implants, and which should be denied it on the grounds of vanity, would be a very difficult thing to do. As I don't believe in making other people's choices for them, however, I'm glad to say it's not my problem. :)