Indian Doctors Found Trans Healthcare After Daughter’s Transition

Dr. Bela Sharma and Air Commodore (Dr) Sanjay Sharma of Gurgaon, India, founded ATHI, a non-profit, after facing immense difficulty finding gender-affirming care for their daughter.

The couple recounts a twenty-year journey of recognizing their child’s gender identity, starting with early expressions of feminine presentation and culminating in a full transition by 2018. They describe a healthcare system in India largely unprepared to address transgender needs, receiving dismissive advice from colleagues ranging from blaming “Western influence” to suggesting physical punishment.

Recognizing the gaps in care, the Sharmas utilized their medical backgrounds and resources to navigate the system and ultimately sought training from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. They then published India’s first Standards of Care for transgender healthcare in 2020, hoping to provide a framework tailored to Indian social and legal contexts.

ATHI now operates with two wings. IPATH, focusing on professional training, and KHEM, dedicated to social empowerment, and continues to expand access to affirming care. The Sharmas now advise other parents to prioritize unconditional love and patience.