Asia's first transgender centre opens in Bangkok

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Asia's first transgender centre opens in Bangkok
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE Thai Red Cross Aids Research Centre has joined forces with US development partners to open the first transgender-specific operation in Asia.

The Tangerine Community Health Centre - located on the first floor of the Thai Red Cross Aids Research Centre in Bangkok - strives to be a model for quality health services and research for the transgender community.

Managed by trained transgender personnel and gender-sensitive medical professionals, it provides services that include psychosocial counselling, hormone administration and pap smears and operates from 7.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.

The centre is supported under the "Inform Asia: USAID's Health Research Program", which received funding from the US Agency for International Development under the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief and was implemented by RTI International and partners.

"The centre will provide friendly needed services to the transgender community locally, while leading the region in identifying and sharing models to improve healthcare access and quality among transgender people," said US Ambassador Glyn T Davies at the opening ceremony on Friday.

"These efforts will be critical to achieving an end to Aids, but will also contribute to a much broader agenda to promote the health and rights of transgender people."

Thai Transgender Alliance for Human Rights communications director Nicha Rongram said: "This is an immense step for Thailand and the region regarding the mobilisation and advocacy.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Asias-first-transgender-centre-opens-in-Bangkok-30274035.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-01

[rodknock]

a big A+ for opening the center!!

i hope people utilize it.

congrats on opening!!

[ronwparker]

Good news-I am heterosexual but have some gay or bi friends maily in Europe that are still alive because of the NHS,Terrance Higgins Trust etc.

Thailand has so many ladyboys who are HIV + but still get little to no help from the govermnent-so spread the disease to both men and other ladyboys!

[Bluespunk]

No one saying go home?

It's ok to pay for stuff then but don't express opinions?

My, but what a web we weave

[khaowong1]

"Pap smears"? Aren't most transgenders male?

[ratcatcher]

"Pap smears"? Aren't most transgenders male?

I think Tom would disagree. Just that kathoeys are perhaps more stereotyped and visible. Thais are quite an accepting bunch.

[Caitrin]

"Pap smears"? Aren't most transgenders male?

No. There are plenty of trans men around the world.

Also, transgender is an adjective, not a noun. Transgender person, not "a transgender." There are gender-diverse individuals in some non-English countries/communities who use a noun form, but it's usually because they have a "third gender" label, a noun, in their own languages, and use it as it is the closest.

Even amongst kathoey in Thailand, there are those who identify as men, those who identify as women, and those who identify as non-gender, third gender, etc, regardless of how they were assigned at birth. And there are intersex individuals, both those who are visibly intersex at birth, and those who due to chromosomal or hormonal issues, will develop different traits than are associated with their assigned sex, sometimes even a combination of traits of both sexes.

Let's try to recognise that 1 in 1000 people are non-dimorphic (not fully male or fully female). Some identify as intersex, some as transgender, and some as cisgender (that is, they feel that what they were assigned at birth is the correct designation). Intersex and transgender, or intersex and cisgender are also not opposites, since they refer to different concepts.

...also, depending in the type of sex reassignment surgery, a fully functional vagina doesn't usually necessitate a pap smear, but it can still necessitate vagina-specific medical care from a gynaecologist. It's altogether the same "stuff" and Thailand has half of the top ten surgeons in the world.

Edited December 2, 2015 by Caitrin