Indian woman has sex change to avoid marriage

In a curious turn of events a woman lawyer underwent a sex reassignment surgery (SRS) allegedly to save herself from forced marriage by her family. "I did not want a family life which is being forced on girls in our society," the woman in her mid-30s who refused to disclose her identity said from her hospital bed on Saturday. "This society is mostly male dominated, where girls have no voice of their own ... I feel free now. No one can force me to marry. It is better to become a man to get rid of suferrings met by women."

The woman, hailing from Puri, has not informed her family before undergoing the SRS. The doctors, who first provided her counselling, had to oblige her as she threatened suicide and even submitted an affidavit stating her willingness to undergo the sex change operation. People close to her, however, said she was close to a girl and wanted to spend the rest of her life together.

As the parents of the girl were preparing to get her married, the lawyer underwent the SRS. The woman was operated upon by a team of surgeons at a private hospital here on June 29. During the seven hour-long operation, the doctors removed her female organs, including the uterus, ovary and breasts and planted necessary male organs. The woman is responding positively to the operation and will be discharged from the hospital soon, her doctors said.

She will be injected hormones to develop masculine attributes like a male voice, beard and moustache, they said. Plastic and cosmetic surgeon Akshya Kumar Rout, who is among those treating her at the hospital, said she would be able to lead the life of a normal man but would not be able to father a child.