Britain’s youngest sex-swap patient to undergo gender reassignment surgery

August 7, 2017  23:48

A woman who became Britain’s youngest sex-swap patient at 15 is preparing to have gender reassignment surgery.

Ria Cooper, who was born male, has had a turbulent last eight years after switching back to her male identity, Brad, when she was 18 because she felt she wouldn’t be accepted and find love.

She had often been dumped by boyfriends when their friends found out she was born male.

But now the 23-year-old is ready to get a final operation that will complete her switch to a woman.

She told the Sunday Mirror: ‘I’ve always known I was female – it was everyone else who was confused, not me. I was wearing make-up and heels at the age of 12, there was no question.

‘Only now I realise that made me even more unhappy. Now I’m going to be me – and I hope I will finally be happy.’

Ms Cooper, who took blockers to stop her puberty when she was transitioning, had been used by critics to cast doubt on sex-swap treatment for teens.

Her treatment also involved her being injected with female hormones that helped her form breasts.

She became so upset when she became Brad again she attempted suicide twice, became a prostitute and also started using drugs.

She is now ready to put that all behind her and is looking forward to the rest of her life.

Ms Cooper has even decided to pay for some of the gender reassignment surgery herself in order to silence critics who don’t believe it should be offered on the NHS.

She has already forked out  £5,000 to have 34EE breast implants put in.

She plans to open a specialist beauty clinic that will primarily serve transgender people after she has the surgery next year.

Ms Cooper also wants to start a family and have children in the future.

She added: ‘I’d love to have a baby to cuddle and love and look after as they grow up. It’s not going to happen overnight, I know that. But I can dream can’t I?’

 

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