Transgender Transitioning & Change of Self-Reported Sexual Orientation
OBJECTIVE:
Sexual
orientation is usually considered to be determined in early life and stable in
the course of adulthood. In contrast, some transgender individuals report a
change in sexual orientation. A common reason for this phenomenon is not known.
METHODS:
We
included 115 transsexual persons (70 male-to-female "MtF" and 45
female-to-male "FtM") patients from our endocrine outpatient clinic,
who completed a questionnaire, retrospectively evaluating the history of their
gender transition phase. The questionnaire focused on sexual orientation and
recalled time points of changes in sexual orientation in the context of
transition. Participants were further asked to provide a personal concept for a
potential change in sexual orientation.
RESULTS:
In total,
32.9% (n = 23) MtF reported a change in sexual orientation in contrast to 22.2%
(n = 10) FtM transsexual persons (p = 0.132). Out of these patients, 39.1%
(MtF) and 60% (FtM) reported a change in sexual orientation before having
undergone any sex reassignment surgery. FtM that had initially been sexually
oriented towards males ( = androphilic), were significantly more likely to
report on a change in sexual orientation than gynephilic, analloerotic or
bisexual FtM (p = 0.012). Similarly, gynephilic MtF reported a change in sexual
orientation more frequently than androphilic, analloerotic or bisexual MtF
transsexual persons (p =0.05).
CONCLUSION:
In
line with earlier reports, we reveal that a change in self-reported sexual
orientation is frequent and does not solely occur in the context of particular
transition events. Transsexual persons that are attracted by individuals of the
opposite biological sex are more likely to change sexual orientation.
Qualitative reports suggest that the individual's biography, autogynephilic and
autoandrophilic sexual arousal, confusion before and after transitioning,
social and self-acceptance, as well as concept of sexual orientation itself may
explain this phenomenon.
- 1Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Clinical Chemistry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
- 2Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
- 3Department Molecular Psychology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
- PLoS One. 2014 Oct 9;9(10):e110016. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110016. eCollection 2014.
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