Vietnam issues sex change decree
08-AUG-2008 Intellasia | Xinhua
Aug 8, 2008 - 7:00:00 AM
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The Vietnamese government issued a decree limiting the legality of sexual reassignment operations, under which sexual reassignment surgery is now legal only for people with inborn or behavioural sexual variants, the Vietnam News reported Wednesday.
Under the decree issued Tuesday, sexual reassignment is legal for three categories: female transvestites, male transvestites and hermaphrodites, and must be conducted voluntarily, objectively and based on scientific evidence.
Reassignment is only legal following approval by the health ministry or Health Department in cities or provinces.
Those who have been legally sexually reassigned will be provided with a health certificate, which enables them to change birth certificates, marriage licenses and other personal documents.
People who have undergone sexual reassignment in Vietnam or other countries prior to Tuesday must get a sexual reassignment certificate from the healthcare centre where they received surgery if they want to alter their personal documents. They must also go to Vietnamese healthcare centres for further examination to acquire the new certificate.
The decree also requires that all information relevant to people undergoing sexual reassignment must be kept confidential. Discrimination is forbidden.
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