Awareness, search for identity drive transgender clinic, Pg3

Key Highlights:

• AIIMS Delhi established a dedicated clinic for transgender persons in November 2023.
• The clinic has registered around 600 individuals and enrolls nearly 200 new patients annually.
• As of January 27, the clinic has conducted 139 gender affirming and refining procedures in approximately two years.
• 72 procedures were for transwomen, and 67 were for transmen.
• Treatment typically begins with hormone therapy, alongside psychiatric evaluation.

Detailed Insights:

• The rise in footfall reflects growing awareness, acceptance, and demand for structured gender-affirming healthcare in the country.
• Gender-affirming procedures include vaginoplasty and phalloplasty, while gender-refining procedures include breast augmentation and facial surgeries.
• Treatment for gender dysphoria typically begins with hormone therapy and psychiatric evaluation, with surgery being optional after at least one year of continuous treatment.
• Hormone replacement therapy is the backbone of medical gender transition, with male hormones prescribed for those transitioning from female to male and female hormones for those transitioning from male to female.
• Lack of family support and financial constraints remain major hurdles for many patients, with monthly expenses for medicines ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 in some cases.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Transgender: A person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex.
• Gender Dysphoria: The distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identity and their assigned sex at birth.
• Hormone Therapy: Medical treatment that involves taking hormones to induce physical changes that align with a person's gender identity.