Quality of life in transgender women opting for gender affirmation surgery vs trans feminine individuals: Single institutional study in Tamilnadu

Abstract

Background: Gender dysphoria is defined as a condition where there is a noted discrepancy between a person's gender identity and the person's sex that was assigned at birth. Gender-affirmative surgery (GAS) plays a crucial role in addressing the mental agony triggered by gender identification crisis as well as medically it is necessary for the social and sexual well-being of the individual. Many previous research articles have documented that gender affirmation surgery not only facilitates a reduction in the level of suffering in trans genders but improves their psychological well-being. In India compared to Indonesia another Asian country limited research studies have been undertaken for the long-term quality of life (QOL) of trans genders who prefer to undergo GAS and their post-surgery implications. Aim: To assess the QoL of transgender women undergoing gender affirmation surgery (GAS) and reasons for undergoing GAS.Methods: Our study is a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study on transgender females who have undergone surgery from any centres, as well as waiting to undergo male-to-female GAS for a period of six months from January 2023 to June 2023. WHOQOL-BREF -Tamil was used to assess the Quality of life. The data were compiled based on a confidential interview and analysed.Results: A total of 60 transgender women were included in our study based on our inclusion criteria. 42 trans genders in our research study are graduates with any degree (69.31%), and one-third % of the study population 33% are employed in a respectable community and able to integrate with society on their terms. Conclusions: Our study reaffirms marked improvement in their physical, psychological, and social health domains after the GAS Surgery irrespective of their socioeconomic background.