Transgender man says diagnosis delays are putting his life on hold

A young transgender man from Bristol says the long wait for reassignment therapy has put his life on hold.

Jay Sweetland from Pill has already waited a year for an NHS diagnosis, and the full transition to a man's body could take ten years. In the meantime, he's started a crowdfunding campaign to try and speed up the process.

The 21-year-old spent his whole life feeling that he was trapped in the wrong body. Now he's reached adulthood, he feels he needs to make a change to manhood once and for all.

Jay wants a man's body and he wants to legally recognised as a man. But before he can start any of it, he needs a diagnosis of gender dysphoria at a Gender Identity Clinic. The NHS offers this, but Jay's already waited a year for an appointment.

He's so frustrated by the situation that he's begun crowdfunding. £550 will pay for a quicker private diagnosis, and a legal name change - from Jade to Jay.

He hopes a quicker diagnosis will allow his NHS hormone treatment to start sooner.

Most of Jay's life has been scarred by his transgender identity. What began as playground teasing developed into bullying so aggressive that his mother took him out of mainstream school completely.

Jay's Mum Claire has always stood by him, but she too has had a lot of adjusting to do.

The full process of gender reassignment involves hormone therapy, a double mastectomy, hysterectomy and genital reconstructive surgery. It's all available on the NHS and the full process can take 10 years.

Well worth it, says Jay: "It will be incredible. It's going to be such a dream come true. I'm going to feel rooted in my body.

"I think I'll be a lot more confident in finding a full-time job when I've started hormone therapy and started transitioning. Just because I'll feel more myself. Just more confident in my abilities as a man."

Jay has very nearly reached his crowdfunding target. It's a small but significant step on a big journey.