500K People in Vietnam Express Need for Gender Transition: Expert

In Vietnam, approximately half a million people have expressed the need for gender transition, said Associate Professor-Dr. Pham Xuan Da, director of the Center for High Medical Training at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

The expert announced this figure at the international conference "Vietnam National University (VNU) 2024 International Symposium Updating New Trends in Sexual Health” in Hanoi on September 13-14. The event was co-organized by the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at VNU Hanoi and the Vietnam Society of Sexual Medicine.

In reality, many individuals seeking gender transition have self-administered hormones or used gender transition services abroad. A number of them have experienced complications and adverse effects due to the use of hormones without medical guidance or from unknown sources.

This highlights the necessity of developing sexual health medicine, not only for specialized healthcare but also as a matter of social welfare, humanity, and in alignment with global trends, said Professor-Dr. Le Ngoc Thanh, head of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Experts at the conference shared their experiences and discussed strategies to strengthen the foundation of knowledge on gender health issues. The goal is to improve the quality of gender health care in Vietnam, in line with global trends. The experts also analyzed the current situation and international practices, offering recommendations for enhancing Vietnam's legal framework on this matter.

Vietnam is currently drafting a law on gender transition, which is set to be submitted to the National Assembly for review. (Suc Khoe Doi Song, Dan Tri)