A Transitional Journey: Exploring the Experiences of Transsexuals

The aim of this study was to understand the psychological and social underpinnings of the life before and after sex reassignment surgery. Three transsexuals (Male to female) living in India who underwent sex reassignment surgery (SRS) were taken. The interviews were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, with the aim of revealing the experiences of participants with the society in context of being accepted for how they wanted to live and the factors that lead to sex reassignment surgery. 4 themes emerged: (1) Tug of war: search for True gender identity having subthemes (a) Expressing the girl in me and (b) Identity in question; (2) Societal challenges having as subthemes (a) Social control and (b) Self in relationships; (3) Steps towards happiness (4) Life after sex reassignment surgery. The results showed the effects such as participant‟s identity confusion; the effects of societal pressures on the psychological health and their interpersonal relationships. Results also reveal certain factors such as interpersonal support and high motivation for SRS which motivated the transsexuals to undergo the surgery. After transition, participants reported experiencing overall satisfaction in life.