A transgender person in Kerala, who transitioned through sex affirmation surgery into male, has biologically fathered a child with his female partner, using fertility preservation services at a private hospital in Kochi.
The remarkable event was made possible by Dr Jisha Varghese and her team at Renai Centre for Fertility and Reproductive Health, who successfully assisted in the complex fertility preservation treatment.
"This is the first time that such a success has been reported in transgenders in India, " Dr Jisha is quoted as saying in a release issued by the hospital here on Friday.
The journey began when the transgender individual, before undergoing sex affirmation surgery, approached Renai Medicity in 2021 seeking to preserve the eggs.
Eggs were retrieved and cryopreserved for future use. Following the surgery, and legally marrying his female partner, the person and his spouse opted to proceed with fertilisation of the preserved embryos, a hospital spokesman said.
With meticulous care and expertise, Dr Jisha and her team conducted the procedure, resulting in the successful implantation of the embryo in the spouse, he said.
In December 2023, their perseverance bore fruit, as a healthy baby boy weighing 2.8kg was born and joyfully welcomed into the world.
Krishnadas Polakulath, CEO & managing director of Renai Medicity, expressed optimism about the impact of this milestone, emphasising its significance in providing avenues for transgender people to fulfill their dreams of having children genetically related to them.