Biological Explanations of Gender Dysphoria Flashcards
Why is gender dysphoria unclear?
There are many possible variations that cause a mismatch between a person’s biological sex and their gender identity
What may cause gender dysphoria?
The hormones that trigger the development of biological sex may not work properly on the brain, reproductive organs and genitals causing differences between them
What rare conditions can result in gender dysphoria?
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)
- Intersex conditions
What is CAH?
Where a high level of male hormones are produced in a female foetus. This can cause the genitals to become more male in appearance, and in some cases, the baby may be thought to be biologically male when she is born
What is intersex conditions?
Causes babies to be born with the genitalia of both sexes. Parents are recommended to wait until the child can choose their own gender identity before any surgery is carried out
What is the brain sex theory?
Male and female brains are different, and perhaps transsexuals brains, do not match their gender identity
What did Kruijiver find?
Males have around twice as many Somatostatin neurons than women, in both male to female transsexuals and vice versa the number of these neurons corresponds to their gender choice not their biological sec
What did Kruijiver conclude?
There is a neurological basis to gender dysphoria
What did Zhou do?
Studied one of the brain structures that is different in men and women and found that in 6 male to female transsexuals their brains followed a female pattern
What did Zhou conclude?
Brain structure differences resulted in the gender dysphoria
What did Green do?
Studied 44 boys referred to a clinic for strong feminine behaviour and compared them with 30 boys in an age matched control group
What did Green find?
When they followed up at age 18, they found only 1/44 had remained gender dysphroic
What did Drummond do?
Studied 30 girls referred to a gender identity clinic aged 2-3 years
What was observed when they were 7?
Play and a playmate preference questionnaire was issued and sex typed behaviours were measured
What was investigated when they were 18?
Their current gender identity, sexual orientation and fantasies and desires to be/ live as a man
