The development of sex reassignment surgery in Thailand: a social perspective.
This paper reviews the development of gender reassignment in Thailand during the period of 1975-2012, in terms of social attitude, epidemiology, surgical patients' profile, law and regulation, religion, and patients' path from psychiatric assessment to surgery. Thailand healthcare for transsexual patients is described. Figures related to the number of sex reassignment surgeries performed in Thailand over the past 30 years are reported. Transsexual individuals are only apparently integrated within the Thail society: the law system of Thailand in fact, does not guarantee to transsexuals the same rights as in other Western countries; the governmental healthcare does not offer free treatments for transsexual patients. In favor of the transsexual healthcare, instead, the Medical Council of Thailand recently published a policy entitled "Criteria for the treatment of sex change, Census 2009." The goal of this policy was to improve the care of transsexual patients in Thailand, by implementing the Standards of Care of the World Professional Association of Transgender Health. Currently, in Thailand, there are 6 major private groups performing sex reassignment surgery, and mostly performing surgery to patients coming from abroad. Particularly, the largest of these (Preecha's group) has performed nearly 3000 vaginoplasties for male-to-female transsexuals in the last 30 years.
Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Prayuth
P
Chokrungvaranont
Department of Plastic Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg Gröna Stråket 8, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden.
Gennaro
0000-0003-3025-520X
G
Selvaggi
Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Sirachai
S
Jindarak
Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Apichai
A
Angspatt
Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Pornthep
P
Pungrasmi
Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Poonpismai
P
Suwajo
Preecha Aesthetic Institute (PAI), Bangkok 10110, Thailand.
Preecha
P
Tiewtranon
D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012067:Religion; D057830:Gender-Affirming Surgery / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D066231:Surgeons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D063106:Transgender Persons / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data