Lived experience of Male-to-Female transsexual people after sex reassignment surgery

It is almost three decades since the sex reassignment surgery has been allowed in Iran and the number of sex reassignment surgeries has considerably increased since then. This study was conducted to examine the experience of male-to-female transsexual People after sex reassignment surgery in Iran. This qualitative study was conducted with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach on seven male-to-female transsexuals using purposeful sampling method and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Van Manen's method was also used to guide the study. The collected data were analyzed through holistic, selective, and detailed thematic analysis approach to extracted themes. The participants were 23–37 year-old (mean = 30.4) and mostly single. A mean period of 36 months has passed since their sex reassignment surgery. The main theme, “being satisfied in an insecure world”, was extracted from three sub-themes as follows “the promotion of life”, “living in the restricted world, and “seeking for acceptance”. Although the life of Iranian male-to-female transsexuals can be improved after surgery, they are still living with challenges including social discrimination, lack of family and social acceptance, and unexpected financial hardship.