Australian court allows teen breast removal

A teenage girl has got permission from Australian family court to have her breasts surgically removed so that it would be easier for her to pass as a male.

The 17-year-old, who believes she is a boy, applied to the family court in Melbourne in 2007 for a double mastectomy before he turned 18. The teen, who was known as Alex and also referred to as a boy in the court, had been on hormone treatment since 13 to thwart puberty. According a news report, Alex was suffering from a psychological condition — gender identity dysphoria — a condition which makes a person to believe that they are the opposite sex. Family Court chief justice Diana Bryant said Alex, who had been living like a boy, was socially constrained by the breasts. She said having the mastectomy was in Alex’s best interest. She said:

“So it was quite an impediment to his social development, which everyone thought was very important. Overwhelmingly, the evidence was that it was in his interests. And I made that order. I wanted to make it quickly so that he could have the operation straight away.”

The decision has enraged Catholic groups who believe that it was an irresponsible decision as a teen cannot make such a crucial choice. Professor Nicholas Tonti- Filippini, the head of bioethics at the John Paul Institute, reportedly said It was a psychological condition and the surgery was not the required solution. He thinks that Alex was not socially well adjusted and this has prevented him from forming normal relationships with women.