Contextualizing Healthcare Needs of the Transgender Community in Kerala

Abstract

Kerala witnessed a transformation in recent times in the case of social acceptance of the transgender community. Participation in HIV/AIDS projects gave them some social recognition. There was a turning point in the situation when the Supreme Court judgement came in 2014 on National Legal Service Authority vs Government of India. It started to formulate policies and welfare schemes to support the transgender community. Following this, the Kerala government drafted the Transgender Policy in 2015. The present situation is much improved. Yet there is not much improvement in healthcare services. There is no protocol or guidelines for treatment, which may result in practice without quality assurance and high cost. This chapter is an attempt to review the situation of the transgender community in Kerala before and after the transgender policy to look into achievements and gaps in security measures, including healthcare access.