The legal determination of the sexual identity of a post-operative transsexual seen as a human rights issue.

Following a definition of transsexualism, the acknowledged medical treatment and the groups of persons who may require sex changes are considered. The medical and surgical procedures involved in a sex change and the dangers inherent in such procedures are then briefly discussed. The legal implications of a sex change in various countries are touched upon with reference to several cases. The discussion is then extended to human rights aspects, with a report of a case considered by the European Commission of Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. The paper closes with a summary of some of the problems facing a transsexual after surgery.