Caitlyn Jenner revealed herself to the world in a Vanity Fair cover story. (Vanity Fair)
Caitlyn Jenner has emerged publicly in July’s issue of Vanity Fair, but while she has come out as a woman, she has not undergone sex change surgery.
According to the Vanity Fair article, Jenner did undergo plastic surgery, including facial-feminziation surgery and breast augmentation. The plastic surgery to the face typically includes hairline correction, forehead contouring and jaw and chin contouring, according to Vanity Fair.
The transgender community stresses that genitalia is not a determinant of gender.
Jenner has also been taking hormones, had her nose fixed and a tracheal shave. Her body and facial hair was removed.
The Vanity Fair article points out that it is a misconception that a transgender woman must undergo genital reassignment surgery in order to officially be transgender. In fact, only one quarter of trans women receive the genital surgery, according to Vanity Fair.
“This is private medical information, and a transgender identity is not dependent on medical procedures,” GLAAD says. “Overemphasizing the medical aspects of a person’s transition objectifies transgender people, and prevents the public from seeing the transgender person as a whole person.”
Jenner, 64, has not yet said if she plans to eventually have the surgery. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health advises that genital surgery not occur for at least a year after transition.
Radar Online reported in late May that Jenner had undergone sex change surgery, a report that the Vanity Fair article proves to be false.
Jenner told Vanity Fair she suffered a panic attack after undergoing the facial-feminization surgery on March 15, which took 10 hours. She had expected it would take 5 hours.
She told Vanity Fair she thought, “What did I just do? What did I just do to myself?”
But a counselor from the Los Angeles Gender Center told her that was a typical reaction, often induced by pain medication. The counselor said second-guessing is “human and temporary.”