The loudest whisper in society: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice in regards to sexual health of Transgender male to female in Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to explore some of the knowledge, attitudes, practice and experience of the transgender in this study in regards to their sexuality and sexual practice. This also includes their experience with sex work since it is apparent that all the respondents have been involved or still are with sex work. It aims to understand the details that contributed to the participant’s decision and the knowledge on safer sex practice taught by the Blue Diamond Society and their reasoning regarding safer sexual practice. This study was conducted in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu during the months of February, March and April of 2011. The qualitative method was used in this study. This research is supported by primary data, which I have gathered from interviews with fourteen male to female transgendered between 21 to 48 years old, where twelve of these interviews were used in this study. The secondary data includes the literature and previous research reviewed related to the study of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community and the fundamental human rights along with an overview of the laws regarding the LGBT community in Nepal. All respondent were in the way of employment, beneficiaries or member associated with Blue Diamond Society (BDS), an organization working towards equal rights for the LGBT community and promoting and educating healthy sexual practices. Through BDS the respondents had gained great knowledge on HIV and other sexual transmitted infections (STI’s) and had access to services and prevention tools. The respondents in this research express their difficulty to come in terms with the changes in their body, in the early teenage years, and the challenges from family and community. They also express their own interpretation of their own sexuality and sexual identity, which coincide, with the queer theory of sexual interpretation. Social interaction and administrative errands where the identity card (ID) card is a requirement because their appearance do not “match” the sex on their ID cards.