JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday said it was lowering the the minimum age requirement to be approved for a sex change from 21 to 18.
The changes were introduced following campaigning by the country’s transgender community, according to the daily Haaretz.
The rules also state that gender reassignment candidates must live a minimum of only one year with their new gender identity, rather than two.
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The makeup of the committee that approves requests will also be modified and will include a psychologist, endocrinologist, gynecologist, urologist and a representative of the transgender community.
Israel’s Health Ministry subsidizes gender reassignment surgery as part of the country’s universal health care system, although most operations are conducted abroad due to a lack of expertise.
