Gender confirmation surgery is still very much misunderstood. Because it's misunderstood, it leads to a sense of mystery around the surgery that perpetuates stigma, and a whole bunch of often-inappropriate comments or questions. To help people understand what really goes on after a transgender person decides to have gender confirmation surgery, 17-year-old Emmie Smith opened the hospital curtains and let the world in for her medical transition.

Emmie, who recently underwent a surgical transition, invited National Geographic photographer Lynn Johnson into her life and into the operating room to document every step of the process. According to an article on Emmie's process, Emmie and Lynn hoped they could team up to "demystify" the procedure.

In a video, a surgeon goes into detail about exactly what the process of gender confirmation surgery entails.

"The glans penis becomes the clitoris, the skin of the penis becomes the labia minora and part of the opening of the vagina," the surgeon says. "The scrotal skin is taken off and used as a skin graft ... That's going to be the lining of the vagina."

This is how we should be talking about gender confirmation surgery. It's not a mysterious or strange procedure, it's a medical surgery that has a specific and understandable process. While Emmie is sharing her transition story, that doesn't mean every trans person wants to share theirs, and it doesn't mean every trans person will want this particular surgery (or any surgery) to be part of their transition. Trans people often get rude and personal inquiries about surgeries and what their genitalia look like. No person, regardless of their gender identity, ever owes anyone an explanation.

Of course, it's OK to talk about someone's transition if they are comfortable. The issue, as Emmie said, is many people don't know how to respectfully ask questions in a way that doesn't further stigmatize a surgical transition or make the person who transitioned seem like some kind of medical mystery.

“It’s not science fiction or mythology,” Emmie said. “It’s what happens to women just trying to be at peace with themselves and their bodies.”

When it comes to gender, education is key. If you take a little while to educate yourself on what exactly gender confirmation surgery is, it becomes quite clear that it's not outlandish or weird, it's just a procedure. Hopefully, Emmie will help more people than ever understand that, chipping away at the stigma many transgender people face daily. Now, National Geographic reports Emmie has recovered from surgery and is applying to college. She's doing well, which one of her doctors said is much thanks to her very supportive family.

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