audio, stills, text and or video: Go to zReportage.com to see more - There hasn't been a time when 15-year old Sam Moehlig of Rancho Bernardo felt he was anything but a male, despite being born biologically female. With the support of his family, Sam began transitioning to becoming a male four years ago. The night before his surgery, Rancho Bernardo's Sam Moehlig woke up several times.''Then I'd see it's 2 in the morning and go back to bed.'' He rose again at 4:30 for an early breakfast, his last meal before his 2 p.m. operation in a Thousand Oaks clinic. Going under the knife, the 14-year-old said later, ''was kind of like a dream.'' ''It was just pure excitement, just pure anticipation,'' he said. ''I was finally getting rid of something that had been bothering me for years.'' Sam, who was born female, got rid of his breasts. Awareness is rising of transgender youth and on TV, we're witnessing a transgender population explosion. Netflix's ''Orange is the New Black.'' to E!'s ''I Am Cait,'' a reality show following the former Olympian Bruce Jenner in her post-surgery identity, Caitlyn Jenner. In real life? It's unclear how many Americans have made this transition. Last May, the U.S. Census Bureau attempted an estimate, drawing on ''changes to individuals' first names and sex coding'': almost 90,000.
© Howard Lipin/U-T San Diego/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

December 6, 2015 - Irvine, California, U.S. - Just another face in the crowd. In December 2015, SAM MOEHLIG, now 15, competed in Judges Cup gymnastics competition at the South Coast Gymnastics in Irvine in preparation for statewide competition.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

July 2, 2015 - San Diego, California, U.S. - A photo of SAM MOEHLIG, now 15, left, hangs on the wall of his family's home taken when he was five-years-old and had more female like features than he does now and dressed as Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty while he and his family were on a Disney-themed cruise. On the right, a family photo of Sam taken during his first boy clothes shopping trip, about five-years-ago.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

August 29, 2015 - San Diego, California, U.S. - About six-weeks after his top surgery to remove his breast tissue, a critical step in the transition from female to male, SAM MOEHLIG, 14, at the time, took his shirt off in public for the first time and enjoyed the pool party held in his honor late in August at a friend's house in Tierrasanta, enjoying his new found freedom, a rebirth of sorts.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

July 2, 2015 - San Diego, California, U.S. - SAM MOEHLIG holds a T-shirt to his chest, one of many in his collection. He went through the shirts deciding which ones he had not been wearing and could wear after the top surgery later that month to remove his breast tissue because they were too tight because of the breasts.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

July 23, 2015 - Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. - SAM MOEHLIG, 14, at the time enjoyed a special moment with his mom, KATHIE MOEHLIG at a restaurant where their family had stopped near the Kryger Institute of Plastic Surgery in Thousand Oaks before he had his breast tissue removed, a critical step in his transition from a female to a male. As tempting as it was, Sam wasn't able to eat anything because of the pending surgery.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

July 23, 2015 - San Diego, California, U.S. - JACQ MOEHLIG, SAM MOEHLIG'S sister looks out from the backseat of their family's van as Sam plays a game on his smart phone on the drive with their parents from San Diego to Thousand Oaks where Sam underwent surgery to remove his breast tissue called top surgery, a critical step in his transition from a female to a male.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

July 23, 2015 - Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. - SAM MOEHLIG,14, sat in a pre-op room at the Kryger Institute of Plastic Surgery before his surgery to remove his breast tissue called top surgery, a critical step in his transition from a female to a male began.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

July 23, 2015 - Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. - Plastic surgeons, doctors GIL and ZOL KRYGER at the Kryger Institute of Plastic Surgery performed top surgery on SAM MOEHLIG, 14 at the time, to remove his breast tissue, a critical step in his transition from female to male.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

July 23, 2015 - Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. - After SAM MOEHLIG'S surgery to remove his breasts, a critical step in his transition from female to male, his dad RON MOEHLIG visited him in the recovery room at the Kryger Institute of Plastic Surgery.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

July 23, 2015 - Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. - After SAM MOEHLIG'S surgery to remove his breasts, a critical step in his transition from female to male, his mom, KATHIE MOEHLIG held his hand and stroked his forearm in the recovery at the Kryger Institute of Plastic Surgery.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

July 23, 2015 - Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. - KATHIE MOEHLIG, SAM MOEHLIG'S mom gives him a kiss as he sits in their family van after his surgery in Thousand Oaks to remove his breast tissue called top surgery, a critical step in his transition from female to male.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

August 6, 2015 - Los Angeles, California, U.S. - SAM MOEHLIG, 14, at the time, prepared to inject himself with testosterone for the first time since his surgery to remove his breast tissue. He injects testosterone once a week, part of his transition from female to male, and will have to do so for the rest of his life.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

September 13, 2015 - Oceanside, California, U.S. - SAM MOEHLIG walks with his dad, RON MOEHLIG on the beach near the Oceanside Harbor one Sunday morning after a surfing lesson. He had no trouble getting into his wetsuit for the lesson, nearly two months after he had his breast tissue removed during a procedure called top surgery, part of his transition from female to male.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

December 17, 2015 - San Diego, California, U.S. - An avid fan of Star Wars, SAM MOEHLIG, right, now 15, along with friends TIM WAZNY, center, and CHAYSON ROBERTS, background, play Star Wars video games at Tim's home before going to the opening night showing of The Force Awakens.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

December 17, 2015 - San Diego, California, U.S. - An avid fan of Star Wars, SAM MOEHLIG, center, now 15, along with friends, CHAYSON ROBERTS, left, and TIM WAZNY, right, take a lunch break from playing Star Wars video games at Tim's home. In the evening they went to the opening night showing of The Force Awakens, the latest Star Wars movie.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

March 21, 2016 - San Diego, California, U.S. - SAM MOEHLIG, 15, injects himself with testosterone one time per week, part of his transition from female to male, which he will have to do for the rest of his life.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

March 28, 2016 - San Diego, California, U.S. - SAM MOEHLIG, 15, continues his transition from a female to a male. The last year has been critical in his transition which included having top surgery a procedure to remove his breasts. Until the surgery he wouldn't take his short off in public, now he does it with great enjoyment.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

December 6, 2015 - San Diego, California, U.S. - SAM MOEHLIG, now 15, competed in Judges Cup gymnastics competition at the South Coast Gymnastics in Irvine, in preparation for statewide competition.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

August 29, 2015 - San Diego, California, U.S.- About six-weeks after his top surgery to remove his breast tissue, a critical step in the transition from female to male, SAM MOEHLIG, 14, at the time, took his shirt off in public for the first time and enjoyed the pool party held in his honor at a friends house in Tierrasanta which included looking at his chest from time to time during the party.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

March 28, 2016 - San Diego, California, U.S. - SAM MOEHLIG, now 15, works with his tutor, CHRISTINA LI, during a reading and writing lesson based on the book, 'The Old Man and the Sea.'
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

March 25, 2016 - San Diego, California, U.S. - One of the by-products of the testosterone injections SAM MOEHLIG, now 15, takes once a week as part of his transition from female to male is that he is now growing facial hair, and shaves about every three-months.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

April 7, 2016 - San Diego, California, U.S. - Now 15, SAM MOEHLIG celebrated his fourth boy birthday by having an ear pierced at Enigma Professional Piercing in Normal Heights, which included surprising his sister, JACQ MOEHLIG, left, with friend TIM WAZNY, center. Jacq had to wait until she was 18 to have piercings.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

April 7, 2016 - San Diego, California, U.S. - SAM MOEHLIG celebrated his fourth boy birthday by having an ear pierced at Enigma Professional Piercing in Normal Heights, done by body piercing professional Evan Spencer.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

August 29, 2015 - San Diego, California, U.S. - About six-weeks after his top surgery to remove his breast tissue, a critical step in the transition from female to male, SAM MOEHLIG, 14, at the time, took his shirt off in public for the first time and enjoyed the pool party held in his honor late in August 2015 at a friends house in Tierrasanta.
© Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire