Chaz Bono at 40 - Now or Never

The daughter of Cher and the late Sonny Bono says she was only able to find herself when she hit the magic 4-0. That's when Chastity started a sex alteration process to become Chaz. Bono, who has Cher's support, said:

"I was turning 40 and I thought it's now or never."

"I want to still feel vibrant and be able to enjoy my life in a male body and not wait until I am an old man."

He said: "It's a long process going back almost a decade. I got clean and sober in 2004 and I couldn't have done this before that." Bono (pictured in June) started the sex alteration, which included removal of his breasts, in March.

"It lowered my voice. Fat redistributes, muscle growth, hair growth, sex drive increases." He explained: "I always felt like the male from the time I was a child. There wasn't much feminine about me. I believe that gender is something between your ears, not between your legs."

"That is something I discovered in the early '90s. It was just a long process of being comfortable enough to do something about it."

(Image: Splash News)