Dr VS Priya, Kerala’s first transgender doctor.

 

Dr VS Priya, Kerala’s first transgender doctor.

Unlike other transgenders, I was privileged enough to have my parents help me achieve my dream of transitioning. My parents supported me, both mentally and financially, and for that, I will be always grateful to them,” says Dr VS Priya, Kerala’s first transgender doctor.

The ayurvedic doctor, who was assigned male at birth, understood her feminine identity during her childhood. So the idea of living in a “wrong body” irritated her. At the same time, she was scared to reveal her true identity to her parents. She says, “I didn’t know how they were going to take the news. All I could do at the time was to write my problems down in my diary which they eventually found.”

Recalling the struggles of convincing others of her feminine identity, Dr Priya says, “The first thing my parents did was take me to a hospital, assuming a psychiatrist could help me. Thankfully, the doctor also said that I didn’t have any mental issues. But, it was then when I was 15 that I understood I wouldn’t be able to reveal my identity to society for fear of being mocked or bullied.”

It was hard for Dr Priya to portray her true mannerisms at school. Though she shares that she still managed to keep her true identity hidden. After completing schooling, she tells me that she thought of moving to a different place only to live as a woman. But as she was so attached to her parents, she couldn’t imagine leaving her family.

“As my parents are both nurses, they wanted both my brother and me to become doctors. While my brother completed his MBBS and is presently working in a hospital in Bengaluru, I wanted to be a teacher. Nonetheless, I decided to try my hands at medicine for the sake of my parents,” says the tricenarian.

After writing an entrance exam, she joined Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College, Ollur, Thrissur in 2013. “I completed my Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) as a man,” she says, adding, “Just to avoid questions on marriage, I then pursued Medicinae Doctor (MD) in Mangaluru. After completing the course, I got the opportunity to work as a guest lecturer in Government Ayurveda Medical College, Tripunithura and Government Ayurveda College, Kannur.”

All the while, Dr Priya says, it was hard to be someone she was not. “During this period, I tried really hard to be more manly. From my walking style to dressing like a man, I was very particular about not revealing my feminine identity,” she adds.

Though, it was only in the year 2018 when she joined the Sitaram Ayurveda Hospital, Thrissur, as a doctor that things changed. Along with doing well in her professional career, Dr Priya shares that her parents were proud of her. “I was happy with my life but my identity still haunted me. It was then that I understood I needed to inform my parents about my identity and opt for surgery,” she says.

“I started to research gender reassignment surgery, its costs and aftermath. With confidence, I then told my parents the truth. They were more saddened than shocked and I can understand their feelings, but I wouldn’t be doing justice to myself if I didn’t reveal the truth. Ultimately, it was my research that helped me convince my parents,” she says.

thanks :https://www.thebetterindia.com/