A transgender man has joked about 'losing his virginity for the second time' after having a penis constructed from his forearm.

Jay Murray, now 41, from Bournemouth, was born female but says he always knew he was 'different' to the other girls in his class at school.

At 19, a boyfriend suggested he watch a television programme about being transgender - and that's when the penny dropped.

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Jay Murray, 41, from Bournemouth, realised at the age of 19 that he was transgender after watching a television programme but had to wait more than a decade before beginning treatment

'Matching up my brain and body:' Jay, pictured as a girl, and right in a more recent photo. Jay says he's still evolving when it comes to sex

However, Jay had to wait until he was 33 to finally get the right help and begin his transition after being told at 28 that he should 'deep breathe' his way through his problems.

Jay underwent surgery to remove his breasts, had a hysterectomy and a phalloplasty - an operation to construct a penis – and said he now finally feels complete.

Following the hysterectomy - an operation to remove the womb - at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in August 2010, which he said was an easy decision as he had never wanted children, he had a phalloplasty in 2013.

The surgery to construct a penis - at the St Peter's Andrology Centre in London - was done in three stages.

He explains: 'It was a big decision because once you start there's no going back so I really made sure I was ready.

'Suddenly I had something in my pants and had to buy supportive underpants.

'I finally feel complete and happy and the first time I had sex after becoming a 'virgin' again was amazing.

'You have to relearn about yourself and I will always be evolving into this being.'

At a school reunion a few years ago, old classmates were shocked to see 'the new him' - remarking that his eyes had stayed the same, but everything else had changed.

Jay, pictured left as a young girl, loved playing sports and already realised he was different from the other children in his class, something which his parents supported

Grief: While Jay's parents supported his decision they did mourn the loss of their daughter, he says

Jay followed sports perceived to be more masculine including football and couldn't relate to teenage girls who were discussing boys and make-up

By 22, left, Jay had come out as a lesbian and begun dating women, but still felt there was something wrong. By 28, he had 'jumped back in the closet' after being advised to deal with the issue by deep breathing

His peers revealed that they knew Jay was 'different' at school. Mr Murray has always had the support of his parents, although he said they still 'grieved' the loss of their girl.

He said: 'My mum says I'll still be dad's little girl, and who am I to take that away from them. I'm not ashamed of my past.'

PHALLOPLASTY - HOW SURGEONS CAN BUILD A PENIS FROM SKIN ELSEWHERE ON THE BODY Mr Nim Christopher, a leading expert in penile reconstruction at University College London Hospitals, told MailOnline: ‘For a complete penile reconstruction, a procedure called a free flap phalloplasty is performed. 'This involves taking a chunk of tissue still intact (in terms of nerves, veins, arteries) from another part of the body. This is then rolled into a tube like a sausage roll with a pipe inside it for the urethra.’ Parts of the body where skin may be taken from are the arm or the thigh. The tissue is then transplanted onto the groin area and the nerves, arteries and veins are connected. Cosmetic surgery is then performed to give the transplanted penis the appearance of one that has been circumcised. If the patient wishes to be sexually active, he can undergo surgery to have a ‘penis pump’ device implanted. Here, two cylinders are placed either side in the tissue and these are connected to a pump in the scrotum. Squeezing the pump fills the cylinders with fluid kept in a reservoir in the abdomen. This type of surgery can be very successful and save sexual relations when all else has failed. But there are some risks attached to the operation including infection and damage to the penis. Advertisement

He 'On reflection, I have known since I was five that I was different from the other girls,' Mr Murray from Bournemouth, who is currently single, said.

'I just thought I was a boy.

'Starting my testosterone injections in March 2009 was one of the most amazing days of my life, knowing I was soon going to be happy in myself.

'I felt nervous and excited to have all of my surgery, I couldn't believe it was actually happening, getting the right bits in the right places.

'I felt I was in a grey area before, but now everything is black and white.'

Mr Murray, a volunteer for LGBT youth charities, said he felt like a stranger in the skin of the young blonde girl he once was.

As a child, he was on the boys' football team, as the teachers gave him 'the benefit of the doubt.'

His parents just let him be whatever he wanted.

Both understanding psychiatric nurses, they were not regimented and let him play with whatever toys he wanted to.

Supportive: Jay pictured in Tenerife with his mum Barbara in 2015, who has been thoroughly supportive of her son's transition

Told his problems were a mental health issue, Jay went back into the closet

'I despised wearing dresses. I've only worn a dress about 12 times in my whole life', says Jay of his childhood

Finally happy: Within 12 weeks of beginning treatment, Jay says his voice started to break and body hair began growing

However, it was not always easy. He says: 'I can still remember when my mum would tell me to put my t-shirt back on when I was about eight, and I'd be mortified,' he said.

'At that time I was hanging out with young lads all the time and they always walked around topless. I didn't understand why I couldn't too.'

Mr Murray distracted himself by doing sport, including football, tennis, and archery.

He started at a girls' grammar school aged 12, where the difference between him and the others became even more acute.

Refusing to be defeatist, he threw himself into playing lacrosse. Reflecting on what school life was like, he said: 'I remember we had a Victorian day once and all the girls wore aprons, whereas I went in as a male chimney sweep.

'They were all into girly stuff and I just didn't get it – chats about who they fancied, pop stars, make up.

I had hated my chest, that's what 'outs you.' For the first time in my life I was standing up straight, it felt amazing. I felt so free I went out topless in town straight away.

'My mum, Barbara, made me grow my hair long and I hated it. I despised wearing dresses. I've only worn a dress about 12 times in my whole life.

'I started my periods at 13 and felt it shouldn't be happening.'

At 19, Mr Murray began a relationship with a boy just to fit in – the same boy who recommended he watch the TV programme.

Although the programme resonated with him, it was a few more years before he finally came out as transgender.

'It was then that I thought I might be transgender, but I hid in the closet,' he said.

'When I was 22, I came out as a lesbian and dated a few women.

'I liked women so thought I could fit in that bracket, but still something was not right.'

Looking back, Mr Murray said he was confusing sexuality and gender.

Still miserable at 28, he went to see a GP, who referred him to a psychotherapist to talk about transitioning.

However, he was just advised to do breathing exercises and told that it was all in his head. Again, he 'jumped back into the closet.'

Then in October 2007, aged 33, a psychologist he was seeing for grief counselling following the death of his granddad referred him to the Gender Identity Clinic at Charing Cross Hospital in central London.

Finally someone understood what he needed, and he began the transition into male with testosterone injections in March 2009 - which he will now be having for the rest of his life.

He said: 'I was finally fixing myself to how I should be and matching up my brain and body.

'My periods stopped within 12 weeks, my voice started to break and body hair began growing - along with my confidence.'

In January 2010, Mr Murray had surgery to remove his DD breasts at the Salisbury District Hospital in Wiltshire and lost 6lbs in weight.

He continued: 'For the first time in my life I was standing up straight, it felt amazing.

'I had hated my chest, that's what 'outs you.'