title: 'For me… it's a miracle': Injecting beauty among kathoeis in a provincial Thai city.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Thai term kathoei refers to non-gender-normative females, males and intersexual individuals at different stages of the transitional spectrum with recognized social and cultural roles in society. Nevertheless, kathoeis are only tolerated in Thai society. Many kathoeis seek social acceptance through beauty and turn to the off-label injection of various 'beauty drugs'.
  
  
  METHODS
  The first author conducted an ethnographic study of injection parties at a wedding studio in a Central Thai provincial city between April and September 2011. Data were gathered through participant observation, focus group discussions and narrative interviews with six participants. All data were collected and analyzed in Thai, and later translated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While injection parties provide opportunities for kathoeis to socialize, bond, and share experiential knowledge on chemically assisted transformation, they also reproduce ideologies of gender, beauty and sexuality that reinforce the notion that if a kathoei is to maintain her beauty, she must use medicines more frequently and in higher doses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Injection parties among Thai kathoeis feature drug use that is entirely reasonable in terms of their own lay knowledge. Empowering kathoeis, by providing accessible information on chemicals and health in a way that reflects the complexity and diversity of their practices, would be one way to reduce health risks. Society must give more long-term options to kathoeis to build their sense of self, based on things besides being beautiful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Society and Health, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, Thailand; Department of Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Silpakorn University, Thailand.
authors.forename: Panoopat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poompruek
authors.affiliation: Department of Society and Health, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, Thailand; Center for Health Policy Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pimpawun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boonmongkon
authors.affiliation: Department of Society and Health, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, Thailand. Electronic address: tguadamu@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Guadamuz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D060386:Sex Workers; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013785:Thailand; D063106:Transgender Persons; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics
keywords: Beauty; Injection parties; Kathoeis; Thailand; Transformation; Transgender