According to the Telegraph, a Serbian gender reassignment surgeon has reported a rise in transgender patients requesting ‘de-transition’ surgery.
Professor Miroslav Djordjevic, the world-leading provider of genital reconstructive surgery, says that he was first approached by a transgender woman to perform ‘reversal’ surgery five years ago, and received similar requests from a further six people in the following six months. Since then, he has met multiple people who are interested in the procedure.
So far, all of these patients have been transgender women over the age of 30, who want to restore their male genitalia. The process involves several surgeries and costs around 700,000 baht. At present, he has two patients undergoing this treatment.
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Currently, the legal age for gender reassignment is 18 and above, but Prof. Djodjevic is concerned that that limit could be lowered in the future. “It is more than about surgery; it’s an issue of human rights. I could not accept (a minor) as a patient because I’d be afraid what would happen to their brain and mind”, he said.
Gender Reassignment in Thailand
Thailand is the global hub of gender reassignment surgery. The first procedure in the country was performed in 1975 by Dr. Preecha Tiewtranon, and since then, he has performed the surgery more than 3,500 times. Now, there are countless hospitals and clinics throughout the country offering the same service.
After transitioning, individuals are not legally allowed to change their gender on their passports or birth certificates. While the country is seen as progressive and tolerant towards the trans community, discrimination still exists, especially in the workplace. Last year, a teacher was fired after her school discovered she was transgender. However, the entertainment industry welcomes transgender people with open arms, and ‘ladyboy’ cabaret shows like Alcazar, Calypso and Playhouse continue to thrive.
Currently, there are no official statistics for the amount of gender reassignment surgeries carried out in Thailand, or any ‘transgender reversal’ procedures.
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