Ria Cooper made headlines last year when she became Britain’s youngest sex change patient aged 17, after years of begging her family and the NHS to turn her in to a girl.
But now, having lived as a women for less than a year the 18-year has decided to change back in to a man after suffering huge mental anguish as a woman.She has cancelled the full sex change operation that was scheduled for January and ceased the female hormone therapy that has seen her develop breasts saying that she has found the changes overwhelming and that they have made her deeply unhappy.Although Ms Cooper underwent a thorough psychological assessment and counseling at Hull Royal Infirmary prior to starting her sex change therapy she has suffered such torment living as a women that she has tried to commit suicide twice.
She told told the Sunday Mirror: ‘The hormones have made me feel up and down. One minute I feel moody and the next minute I feel really happy.’‘The night I tried to slash my wrists I’d downed a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and just thought about how alone I am, and how my decision has alienated my family and how I will have to become a boy again to resolve it.’Born a male called Brad, Ms Cooper began dressing as a girl aged 12, and at 15-years-old begged doctors to help her become a woman.
But she has failed to find happiness as a female, even admitting to dabbling in prostitution in an attempt to counteract the loneliness she felt .Ms Cooper also says the hormone injections left her with extreme emotions and a high sex drive, but that she can not find the love she craves with either sex.She believes she will have better luck in love as a ‘trendy’ gay man, and that returning to being a male will help heal the damaged relationships with her family.
‘I don’t want to live in isolation, away from everyone I love. This is the only way forward. I just want to be happy and this is my last chance.’Currently jobless and sleeping on a friends floor, Ms Cooper, hopes that after she stops having her hormone injections and returns to being a boy she can join the Army and have a career in the forces.Ms Cooper who was training to be a hair dresser as Bradley, believed at the age of 16 she was old enough to make the life-changing decision to give her ‘peace of mind’.
In 2010 Ms Cooper- then Bradley- told the News of the World: ‘I hate my body as it is now. I’ve known for years I’m a woman – I think and act like a woman, not a man. I don’t want years of misery.’I want it done as soon as possible so I can be the person physically that I am on the inside.’People might think I’m too young to make such a huge decision but I know my own mind and this is what I want.’ – Dailymail
