Sex change surgery coming to Cuba
January 20, 2010 – 12:55 amAll the tourists who vacation in Cuba will be glad to know that the country has now started to perform sex change operations. President Raul Castro’s daughter who is a long time advocate of gay’s rights said that surgery started in 2008 but has refused to divulge the numbers or success.
She said that Cuban surgeons have been working with their Belgian colleagues to develop the sex change operation which are only for Cubans for the moment.
For Cubans, all surgery is covered by Cuba’s universal health care but there is opposition to this treatment because of the excessively high costs.
Said Castro, “We schedule a certain number per year based on economic circumstances.” She further added that because of financial constraints the sex change surgery is limited to Cubans only and not tourists.
Castro has also been directing her efforts to allow gays to participate in Cuba’s communist party and so that they can have same rights as heterosexuals.
Gays have not been formally barred from the communist party but accepting them would help strengthen their role in Cuban politics.
As far as the sex change surgery is concerned, Cuba aims to follow the same pathway as Thailand and one day offer this surgery to tourists. In Thailand one can get sex change surgery for about $6,000-$8,000. Since Cuba is a lot closer, it should save a lot on time and travel for the tourist seeking this surgery.
However, over the years Cuban health care system has been a shambles and is very poorly equipped. Anyone thinking of surgery in Cuba should remember that losing “testicles” is one thing, losing life is a whole different story.
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