The World Health Organisation defines gender incongruence as a marked and persistent inconguence between an individual’s experienced gender and the assigned sex. One of the ways to alleviate gender incongruence is through gender affirmative care. It can include a single or a combination of social, psychological or medical interventions. The medical interventions could include hormone replacement therapy, or surgeries. These medical interventions are very expensive, and often out of reach for transgender persons.

This May, the Maharashtra government announced that gender affirmative surgeries for transgender persons will be provided free of cost in government faciltiies. Maharashtra is one of the many states including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Rajasthan among others to announce schemes for medical facilities of transgender persons.

In this episode, Cherish Mundhra spoke to Maya Awasthi, and her colleague Sara Ranthambe to understand the various barriers faced by the community in accessing these medical interventions. Both are from Tweet foundation that works with transgender persons. 

References

Transgender Indians Continue To Face Multiple Barriers To Gender Affirmation Surgery
Gender incongruence and transgender health in the ICD
Standards of Care
National Legal Ser.Auth vs Union Of India & Ors on 15 April, 2014
THE TRANSGENDER people (PROTECTION OF RIGHTS) ACT, 2019 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Should Gender Reassignment Surgery be Publicly Funded? - PMC
DRAFT ODISHA STATE TRANSGENDER people POLICY 2021
National Portal For Transgender people
How Kerala is A Long Way Off In Gender Affirmative Healthcare For Trans people - BehanBox
Another transgender person dies by suicide in Kochi, fourth such case this year
Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour among Transgender people - PMC