Trans man gets pregnant; transgender couple tread a new path to parenthood

• Image Credit: Google

• Feb 3, 2023 | Dhupali Das

An accountant by profession, Zahad, was born a female and is currently undergoing hormone therapy to transition to a man...

Digital Desk: A transgender couple in Kozhikode, Kerala, is about to embark on a historic journey as they prepare to welcome their first baby - a first in more ways than one. 

The much-awaited child, due in March, will be fathered by Zahad Paval (23) — the first trans man to become pregnant through conception in India —  his three-year companion, transwoman Ziya (21) announced in an Instagram post.

An accountant by profession, Zahad, was born a female and is currently undergoing hormone therapy to transition to a man. Ziya, a classical dance teacher, was a biological male who converted into a woman.

The trans couple, both from Kerala, were halfway through their gender affirmation procedures when their wish to adopt a child became entangled in legalities and red tape.

They realized Zahad could still conceive, and despite his initial reluctance and dread of being judged, he decided to get pregnant after all by sacrificing his femininity.

Eight months into what is purportedly India's "first trans male pregnancy," the couple claims they are not worried about whether their baby will have enough support system growing up.

"When we first started living together three years ago, we thought our lives should be different from those of other transgender people. Most couples are rejected by society and their separate families. We wanted a baby so that there would be someone even after we left this world," Ziya told The Indian Express.

While she continues her treatment to become a trans woman, Zahad, who had his breasts removed, will begin his journey to become a trans man roughly six months or a year after delivery, Ziya said.

They plan to feed the baby through the breast milk bank at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode, where the baby will be born.