Thousands of people flock to Turkey each year to undergo cheaper cosmetic procedures. Referred to as “medical tourists,” they often include LGBTQIA+ (abbreviated LGBTQ+) identifying people who travel from Western countries to seek gender-affirming procedures among other treatments that would otherwise be harder to get in their country of origin. Nevertheless, medical tourism can also sometimes lead to dangerous experiences, as well as highlight disparities between locals and privileged travelers.
Intersex reality TV celeb Tia Latham traveled to Istanbul alongside her best friend, Charley Grabczak, who self-identifies as a “gay socialite and a vegan activist,” to undergo multiple plastic surgeries, which are cheaper than those typically offered in the UK, where they are from.
Tia had a “360 Liposuction with butt augmentation,” priced at £3,600, and a £3,300 rhinoplasty.
