Gender Dysphoria, Gender Identity, and Related Conditions Flashcards
17.1.
A 13-year-old born as a female has insisted since he was 3
years old that he is really a boy. He has always preferred to
play sports with boys, as opposed to engaging in traditional
gender-role activities for girls. He wears boys’ clothing at all
times and has never worn a dress. Since the beginning of
puberty, he has worn a binder around his torso to flatten out
his breasts. He has told his parents, friends, and teachers to
use the “he” pronoun since he was 9 years old. He eventually
wants to transition physically to being a male. He is sexually
attracted to females. His karyotype is 23, XX. What term best
describes the sexual identity of this individual?
A. Transexual
B. Transgender
C. Homosexual
D. Genderqueer
E. Cross-dresser
17.1. A. Transexual
The individual can be described as transgender, the term referring to
someone who identifies with a gender different than their assigned
gender. However, the term transexual is a better fit, as he wants to
have the body of a male. Genderqueer refers to someone who feels
that they are between genders, are both genders, or are neither
gender. Cross-dressing is wearing the clothes typically associated
with a different gender than the one assigned at birth, but
maintaining the identity of the assigned gender. Given that he
identifies as a male and is attracted to females, his sexual orientation
is heterosexual, not homosexual.
17.2.
The parents of a 4-year-old boy present to the outpatient
clinic concerned about their son, who they state tells everyone
that he is a girl. They say that he has always played with “girl
toys” such as dolls, and that they have caught him several
times putting on his 6-year-old sister’s dresses. His karyotype
is 23, XY. What is the most likely outcome for the child
regarding his gender identity/expression in adulthood?
A. He will identify as a gender-dysphoric male
B. He will transition surgically to a female
C. He will identify as a male
D. He will identify as a gender-dysphoric female
17.2. C. He will identify as a male
Several studies have shown that a majority of children with gender
dysphoria identify with their birth-assigned gender as adults. Most
who continue to identify as a different gender do not have gender
reassignment surgery
17.3.
A 23-year-old transgender man decides to begin hormone
treatment for phenotypical masculinization. In addition to
liver function tests, which of the following labs should be
routinely monitored?
A. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)/T3/T4
B. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine
C. Na
+
/K
+
D. Hemoglobin/hematocrit
E. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)/Leutenizing hormone
(LH)
17.3. D. Hemoglobin/hematocrit
Testosterone supplementation can lead to an increase in red blood
cell counts which can lead to stroke, so hemoglobin and hematocrit
should be monitored routinely. Liver function tests should also be
monitored because testosterone is metabolized by the liver. Glucose
and lipids should be monitored as well, as testosterone can increase
the chance of lipid abnormalities and diabetes.
17.4.
What is the default sex of a human embryo, and what causes it
to develop into the opposite sex?
A. Default female—becomes male from Y chromosome–
induced androgens
B. Default male—becomes female from lack of Y
chromosome–induced androgens
C. Default female—becomes male from Y chromosome
estrogen suppression
D. Default male—becomes female from a double dose of X
chromosome estrogen
17.4. A. Default female—becomes male from Y
chromosome–induced androgens
The default state of mammalian embryos is female. Androgens
produced by the presence of the Y chromosome convert the tissue
into male
