Transsexualism in Portugal: the legal framework and procedure, and its consequences for transsexuals.

Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) in transsexuals is not allowed under Portuguese law which means that individuals have turned for aid to other countries to achieve the corresponding bodily 'correction'. Furthermore, those who submitted to SRS abroad suffered a stressful experience involving an unpredictable outcome when they asked for a subsequent change of their civil status records so as to update the data concerning sex and forename in their birth certificate and identity papers. In the last few years some people, especially doctors, have been taking steps to remove political, judicial and medical prejudices and attitudes in relation to the transsexuals' situation in this country; however, the main obstacles and procedures remain practically unchangeable.