Brazil to pay for sex-change operations

Brazil's public health care system will cover the cost of sex-change operations, the government said after a federal court ruled the procedure was a constitutional right.

The court's chief judge Rober Raupp Rios said the ruling would prevent self mutilation by people with sexual identity problems.

The Ministry of Health estimated the cost of sex-change operations in Porto Alegre at about 1,000 dollars, and that as many as one Brazilian in 10,000 could be seeking one.
During 2000-2007, Brazil carried out 250 sex-change operations, the ministry said.