> The medical profession carries a vested interest in
> preserving the binary sex system and, therefore, in its role as
> gatekeeper will try to weed out those who would practice some
> flexibility.
I don't see why it carries a vested interest in preserving the binary
sex system. In fact, it would probably gain money/prestige/influence
if body modifications became more common.
I think a more likely explanation for the resistance is that the
medical profession is conservative, both scientifically (it has to
be, the treatments must be *very* carefully tested and validated
since failures can be deadly), socially (most influential doctors are
older and well-paid) and traditionally (it is after all one of the
few guilds left).
Still, I think there will be a change. Many medical students do not
consider transhuman ideas unethical or too wild, just very hard to
implement (the problem of being an expert: the more you know about a
problem, the harder it seems until you solve it). In a few years they
will be parts of the medical profession, and while they will likely
become more conservative, the seeds are there.
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Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension!
nv91-asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~nv91-asa/main.html
GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y