Genital examination of Hijras.

There is a common belief in Pakistan that hijras are born hermaphrodites or have undergone an emasculation procedure. There are many studies about socio-sexual behaviour of hijras, but one rarely finds any study regarding genital examination of hijras. Four hundred hijras from Karachi and Lahore were examined as part of National Study of Reproductive Tract Infection conducted in 2004. A random sample of the Gurus of Hijras in each city was taken and all hijras under selected Gurus were included in the study. The purpose of study was explained to each Guru/participant and only those, who consented, were included. Out of 400 hijras, penis and testes were absent in only three hijras (0.8%). Among the remaining 397 hijras, 98.3% were circumcised and 1.7% were non-circumcised. Inguinal Lymphadenopathy was the most common finding. The study dispels the myth that Hijras in Pakistan have ambiguous genitalia, are hermaphrodites or have undergone removal of male sexual organs.