This Video Shows How You Turn A Penis Into A Vagina

Over the weekend, I binge-watched the second season of Transparent. Jeffrey Tambor plays a transgender woman named Maura, and in one of the episodes a friend's significant other asks her if she's going to get the surgery, meaning sex reassignment surgery (SRS), gender reassignment surgery, bottom surgery, and specifically for a born male transitioning to a female, a vaginoplasty.

This question is often on people's minds, whether they're transitioning themselves or know someone who is. And if someone decides to have SRS, what exactly happens? We know vaguely, but not really.

While health insurance coverage is improving, not everybody can afford this expensive surgery. Vaginoplasty can run anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 and higher, and that's just one of the procedures available to someone transitioning. An individual transitioning from a man to a woman might want to get buttock enhancement surgery, thyroid cartilage reduction, facial feminization, and breast augmentation, as well as the gender reassignment.

To feel as if you were born in the wrong body is a horribly painful feeling, and being able to do whatever you can to physically resemble the sex you feel you are is a life-saver, no matter what the cost. The good news is that when a vaginoplasty is done by an expert surgeon, orgasming, or at least a reasonable amount of erogenous sensitivity, individuals can still experience pleasure.

Below is a video created by the European Society of Urology which vividly illustrates the intricate and difficult male-to-female gender reassignment surgery. If you're squeamish, be warned: even though it's animation, it's still difficult to watch. 

Vimeo

The advancements that modern medicine has made and continues to make is truly amazing. Hopefully one day soon, male-to-female trans people will be able to have a children, in addition to living their best lives.