Vaginoplasty is a type of gender-affirming surgery for trans women — and it's expensive.
Courtesy of Amelia Crowther
In the summer of 2021 I made a decision that was a decade in the making.
I had considered getting sex-reassignment surgery for many years, but I finally decided to commit to it shortly after my 25th birthday. SRS, also called vaginoplasty, is a type of gender-affirming surgery for trans women.
For those who are able to navigate the National Health Service system, SRS is available for free in the UK, but some trans women choose to seek SRS privately abroad if they have difficulty accessing healthcare. In addition, surgeons use several techniques, with different pros and cons.
I felt that the technique used by a surgeon in Thailand was the right fit for me — and that it was important not to compromise on such a permanent decision.
The cost of the surgery itself comes to approximately 13,000 pounds, or about $18,000. The total cost, including flights, accommodation, and other expenses, comes to 18,000 pounds.
The first financial hurdle to clear is the deposit payment, which consists of 20% of the full surgery cost.
Perhaps surprisingly, the next large cost to pay is the plane tickets. Flying business class on the return journey is recommended, since a long-haul journey in economy class is extremely uncomfortable in the early stages of recovery. Unless you're operating with a large budget, you should fly economy class on the way to Thailand, but even a one-way business-class flight from Bangkok to London can set you back approximately 1,500 pounds.
Finally, there's the remainder of the surgery costs to pay — the largest single payment to make by far. However, the deadline is more flexible here; it can be as late as a month before the surgery. It can be paid in whatever installments you desire, but it's important to schedule a date only if you're sure you can raise the funds in time.
None of this would be possible if I had not been able to move back in with my parents over the pandemic. Especially in the queer community, not everybody is able to rely on family support. I was privileged enough to be able to work from home from my mother's house, without paying rent, while others endured the worst of the early British lockdowns.
In this period I was fortunate to be able to save almost my entire paycheck, coming to about 1,800 pounds a month. I saved approximately half of the full cost of surgery this way, although I continued to save about 400 pounds a month once I moved out again and had to financially support myself.
Because of the high cost of gender-affirming surgeries and the lower incomes that are common for trans people, a strong culture of crowdfunded financial support has developed within the community.
It's been humbling to see such a wide array of people help me financially through one of the biggest steps in my life. There are too many to thank individually here, but I'm grateful to all who have donated and continue to donate, especially the anonymous donors, who are frequently the most generous.
The online communities I'm part of have been greatly supportive, but I'm also thankful for the support of my friends and family in the offline world, including my close friend who is arranging a pub quiz to raise funds for the surgery.
We've found a café nearby that will let us use the space for free for the night, and the community has come together to offer help. One of the local drag kings has offered to emcee the event free of charge, and it will also include a raffle with prizes donated by friends. Even those who haven't been able to donate to the fundraiser directly have been generous enough to contribute to making sure it's a success.
I managed to cover the remainder of the costs by taking out a loan. I study part time and work part time, leaving enough in the student loan after tuition fees to contribute to the surgery.
In the UK, student loans are issued by a public-owned company. It's a better deal for me than taking out an ordinary loan, since the repayments are scaled to my income and forgiven entirely after 30 years. Additionally, many private loan providers may be reluctant to offer a loan for the full cost of surgery.
Accessing gender-affirming surgery is incredibly difficult in the best of times. I hope I've been able to share a few useful ideas on how to save the money you need.
