Iran Gender-Affirming Surgery: Legal Guide, Costs & Complexities
Iran Gender-Affirming Surgery: A Comprehensive Guide to Legal, Medical, and Social Complexities Executive Summary The availability of Iran Gender-Affirming Surgery (GAS) presents a unique and complex scenario globally. Crucially, Iran has legally recognized the right of transgender people to undergo gender-affirming procedures since the late 1980s, following a fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini. Therefore, Iran stands out as one of the few Muslim-majority countries where these surgeries are explicitly legal. However, this legal recognition primarily focuses on the physical transition, often mandated by legal and psychiatric bodies, rather than a broad acceptance of diverse gender identities. Consequently, patients considering Iran Gender-Affirming Surgery are attracted by the low cost and high technical skill of surgeons, yet they must navigate stringent psychological evaluations and a challenging social environment that often conflates identity with sexual orientation. Ultimately, prospective patients must understand the significant legal mandates and social realities before pursuing treatment. The Paradox:
