A number of articles are chosen and published in each issue according to the theme that has been selected. That way, each of the surgeons take turns to contribute if they so wish. In accordance with the recommendations we do not publish any photographs of clinical cases.
The photographs and diagrams in this magazine are non-contractual illustrations of the surgeons' articles. W hen a birth certificate is drawn up in France, the registry authorities show the sex of the child on the document. Should the sex be changed, as in the case for some transexuals, a disparity arises between the sex first registered on the birth certificate and the sex of the person concerned.
Now the birth certificate is used, in particular, as a basis for drawing up identity documents which then include a reference to the original biological sex and this is not the same as that acquired by the transexual adult.
Following the example of Sweden, which was the first to pass a law on the subject in ; many countries have adopted legislative provisions with a view to determining the rules applicable to the registration of a change in sex. This gave rise to Resolution of April , which is very often cited by associations for the defense of transexuals. Being also aware of the complications faced by people in my own Department who were changing identity, I asked the then Minister of Justice an oral question on the subject and on the issue of changing the reference to sex in the register of civil status.
The Minister announced that a circular had just been issued to the courts the Circular of 14 May inviting them to issue a favorable decision on applications to change the sex recorded in the register of civil status in cases where hormone treatment for the purpose of causing physical or psychological change, possibly accompanied by plastic surgery, had led to an irreversible change in sex. Unfortunately, this circular is a long way from being universally applied and has not led to harmonization of practice in the various courts dealing with the issue.
