We're hearing of a temporary ban on castration in Thailand but we didn't know castration was quite so rampant to begin with. Lured by web ads promising softer skin and increased femininity, presumably transgendered teen boys in Thailand are seeking castration from back alley doctors in large numbers, prompting the country's Health Ministry to institute a ban on the procedure in all hospitals and clinics for all "non-medical" reasons. We're sort of curious about these medical reasons for castration too-we've heard of it in cases of testicular or prostate cancer, but are there others?
The law in Thailand states that boys under 18 require their parents' consent for the operation, but it is believed that many doctors are turning a blind eye to make a buck. Dr. Thep Vechavisit, a Thai sex-change specialist, notes that castration surgery is the preferred option to taking excessive female hormones, which many of these young men also do and which can cause liver damage.
And with that, we leave you with this recording of the last castrato, Alessandro Moreschi, performing in the Sistine Chapel in 1902.
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