Dr Jasnoor Dayara, the first trans woman doctor of Gujarat, opted to cryopreserve her semen. Four vials of her semen are preserved in a fertility clinic in Anand.
Born in a small town of Godhra, Gujarat, she was assigned male at birth. As she grew, she felt like a female trapped inside a male's body. She often felt the urge to emulate feminine gender expressions like applying lipstick or donning a saree. To save the family from the confusion or alarm, she remained well inside the closet.
Dr Dayara went to a Russian University to complete her MBBS, where the woman inside her was liberated. She didn't suppress her identity any further and won over the support of her family and society.
After completing her MBBS, she has returned to India and is preparing for the Medical Council of India exam so that she can begin her practice in the country. Her gender affirmation process is scheduled after the exam.
Dr Dayara, 25, says that she derives her strength to be a woman from the Goddess Kali and that a woman can be a "father, mother, and a friend as the need arises". It's the loving heart that makes one a mother, not a uterus, she added.
Dr Dayara wishes to be the biological mother of her own child through surrogacy using a donated egg cell for In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) method.
The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 has been passed in Lok Sabha. The bill is yet to be passed in Rajya Sabha and approved by the President. The bill bars single males, LGBTQI couples, people in a live-in relationship from opting for surrogacy.
Dr Dayara says that she will not shy away from seeking surrogacy across the globe. She opined that our country should show "compassion to each person's biological desire" and allow transpersons to choose surrogacy as a path for parenthood.
Sperm banking and egg freezing are effective methods for young transpersons to preserve their fertility if they wish to experience parenthood. Fertility conservation alternatives for transgender people include sperm banking, egg freezing and embryo freezing.
Akriti is pursuing journalism at Delhi University's Delhi School of Journalism.
Her life's motto: Chocolate never asks questions. Chocolate understands. Be like Chocolate!
