Dr Bahram Mir-djalali is a surgeon in Tehran. He trained in Paris and in Belgium.
He had done over 320 sex-change operations in the 12 years to 2005, far more than he would have done in Europe, partly because of Iran’s total ban on homosexuality. He does the more complex vaginoplasty building from an intestinal graft.
![]()
He has now done over 1,000 operations, over 90% mtf. Up to half the cost is covered by charities with approval of the state. However, despite the official acceptance of gender change by the Iranian government and clergy, social acceptance is low. Dr Mir-djalali estimates that fully one third of his patients opt for suicide sooner or later.
He had done over 320 sex-change operations in the 12 years to 2005, far more than he would have done in Europe, partly because of Iran’s total ban on homosexuality. He does the more complex vaginoplasty building from an intestinal graft.
He has now done over 1,000 operations, over 90% mtf. Up to half the cost is covered by charities with approval of the state. However, despite the official acceptance of gender change by the Iranian government and clergy, social acceptance is low. Dr Mir-djalali estimates that fully one third of his patients opt for suicide sooner or later.
- Nazila Fathi. “As Repression Lifts, More Iranians Change Their Sex”. The New York Times. Aug 2, 2004. www.nytimes.com/2004/08/02/international/middleeast/02iran.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1091489991-2sBf34Gerj3nlXAaASXZcQ.
- Robert Tait. “A Fatwa for Freedom”. The Guardian. 27 July 2005. www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jul/27/gayrights.iran.
- Tanaz Eshaghian (dir). Be Like Others. Iran, Canada, UK, US 74 mins 2008.
- Fritz Schaap. "Iran's Tragic Approach to Sex Change". Ozy, Apr 13 2015. http://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/irans-tragic-approach-to-sex-change/40153.