Can a man become a woman?

I have heard of some strange cases of some people who changed their sex from that of a man to a woman and vice versa. I want to know how this is possible and the reason for it.

Ife (by E Mail)

For some complex scientifical reasons, some people are born with both sex organs with one of the sexes being more pronounced than the other. Intersex is a group of conditions where there is a discrepancy between the external genitals and the internal genitals (the testes and ovaries).The older term for this condition is hermaphroditism. Although the older terms are sometimes used they have been replaced by most experts, patients and families. Increasingly, this group of conditions is being called disorders of sex development (DSDs) As this group of people grow up, the decision can be taken on request regarding which of the two sexes the person should claim. Once the attending doctor has taken the decision on which of the two sexes to switch the person to, treatment will commence usually with a surgical operation on the person’s genitals. This may then be followed with appropriate hormonal treatment as well as psychological counselling.