The Cultural, Psychiatric, and Sexuality Aspects of Hijras in India

The Indian hijra community encompasses persons with a variety of gender identities and sexual orientations, forming a culturally unique gender group. Although these communities have existed for ages within Indian society, hijras have been stigmatized and marginalized to a large extent. Such stigmatization may compromise the mental health of hijras possibly giving rise to various mental health issues. The sociocultural aspects of hijras have frequently been the subjects of research by anthropologists and sociologists, but there is a dearth of data regarding mental health problems in them. This study aims to understand the cultural, psychiatric, and sexuality aspects of hijras in the city of Mumbai, focusing on the prevalence of gender identity disorder and psychiatric disorders (if any) in them, their self-esteem, and their sexual practices.