Transsexuals’ Right to Health? A Cuban Case Study

In 2008, Cuba’s minister of public health signed Resolution 126, an act that assured complete coverage for Cubans seeking sexual reassignment surgeries (also known as gender confirmation surgeries), the first of any country in Latin America to do so. Ten years later, Cuba is celebrated as having one of the most open and inclusive LGBTQ public health and education programs in the Americas. As illustrated throughout this article, the Cuban state approaches sexuality and sexual identity not as rights-based issues but rather as health-based challenges. Through the case study of Cuba’s understanding of transsexuals’ right to health, we argue that Cuba has provided an example of how the right to health for all moves toward breaking down the barriers of stigma by improving health outcomes for those with transsexual health needs.