A teenager in belonging to Magharvada village in Junagadh district in Gujarat undergoes a sex-change from female to male, changes name from Bhavna to Bhavesh.
“I thank doctors for giving Bhavesh and me a new life. The world has changed for us!” these are the words of a mother whose child had her sex changed in a hospital in Rajkot.
Bhavna, youngest daughter of Jiva Dhuda had been leading the life of a girl for the past 18 years. The family belongs to Magharvada village in Junagadh district.
The teenager is going through the second phase of intersex surgery and has started living life as a male now called Bhavesh.
Bhavesh, along with his parents and doctor, talked to the media here in Rajkot. “I am not shy of being a boy now. I am enjoying my life,” he said.
“The surgery is different from sex change which we normally hear of. Sex change is an individual decision. Intersex is congenital, involving chromosomal, morphologic, genital and/or gonadal anomalies,” explained Dr. Jitendra Amlani, a Rajkot-based urologist, treating Bhavesh.
Dr Amlani said, “Such disorder is found in one among eight thousand patients." Bhavesh said that he developed feelings as a boy while in fifth standard.
“When I was in fifth standard, I started developing a feeling of being a boy. I could not play freely with other girls. But I could not express my feelings to my parents,” he said while recalling his childhood days. “I also appeared as a girl for my SSC board examination,” he added.
Sometime in September last year, Bhavesh came to know about sex change operation while watching news. “Immediately, I talked to my parents as I was nearing the age of 18 and did not look like a girl. So, I requested them to take me to doctors,” he explained.
Preliminary tests at VS Hospital and Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad confirmed that Bhavna was not a female and had underdeveloped tastes and other genetics of a male. “Due to very high expenses and other problems, we could not go ahead with the operation in Ahmedabad,” Jivabhai, father of the patient said.
Bhavesh was seemingly happy while interacting with the media but his mother, Jasuben seemed happier. “At the time of her birth, I was happy to have a daughter after three sons. But when I saw her, I was a bit confused. I talked to elders but nobody was willing to buy my argument,” she said.
Six months after the child's birth, the mother had her examined by a local doctor but confusion continued. “Even at the age of 10, she was not behaving like a girl. She was not interested in doing any domestic work, nor was she interested in learning to cook,”
Jasuben said. “Now my life has changed. I thank doctors for giving Bhavesh and me a new life,” the mother, glowing with confidence, recounted without a pause.
Doctors are confident that after undergoing the remaining two stages of the surgery, Bhavesh will be able to enjoy a complete life as a male.
“We are awaiting one biopsy report which will confirm his sperm counts, but we are confident that he will be able to enjoy full manhood,” Dr. Amlani said.
Medical experts believe if diagnosis of intersex is done at the early age, psychological and social trauma of the patient is minimal. “It is easier to adjust to a new gender at an early age. However, due to numerous factors, people shy away from these disorders,” Dr. the further said.
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