Gender Dysphoria, Paraphilias Flashcards
Sex
- Biological feature related to reproduction
- Chromosomes and hormones + primary and secondary sex characteristics
- Intersex: variations that do not fit typical male or female patterns. Varying severity.
Gender identity
- Sense of self
- Women, Men, Bigender, Agender, Gender fluid etc.
- Gender identity: reflect a person’s physical anatomy, develops early in life (3yrs old)
- Cisgender: those whom gender identity corresponds with what they were assigned at birth.
Sex roles
- Characteristics, behaviors and skills that are defined within a specific culture as being masculine or feminine.
Symptoms of Gender dysphoria
Frequency of Gender dysphoria
- Rare
- Trans women (6.8), trans men (2.6)
Causes of gender dysphoria
- Sex hormones, especially during the prenatal period
Treatment for Gender dysphoria
Two solutions:
1. Change the person’s identity to match anatomy
2. Change the person’s anatomy to match identity
- Gender affirming surgery: positive, reduced levels of anxiety and depression, 3:1 men seek sex reassignment surgery.
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Postoperative adjustment: adjustment in the society after surgery.
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Paraphilia
- Sexual arousal associated with unusual activities/targets.
- Persistent sexual urge/fantasy.
Symptoms of paraphiliac disorders
- Arises when a pattern develops involving a long-lasting, unusual erotic preoccupation that is arousing, and urge to act upon it.
- Compulsion and lack of flexibility
- Takes up lots of time and energy. Similar to addictions
Diagnosis of paraphiliac disorders
- Urges are compulsory
- Produce sexual dysfuntion
- Require participation of non-consenting persons
- Legal problems
- Interfere with social relationships
- Acts upon urges
Fetishistic disorders
- Arousal associated with non-living objects.
- Women’s underwear, shoes, boots, rubber or leather.
- Masturbate while holding, rubbing or smelling the fetish object or wear etc.
Transvestite
- Person who dresses in clothing of opposite gender.
- Cross-dressing for the purpose of sexual arousal.
- Primarily among heterosexual men.
- May be done in private or in public.
Sexual masochism
- People who become sexually aroused when they are subjected to pain or embarrassment
- May act on these impulses themselves or with a partner.
Exhibitionism
- More common in males but can be found in women.
- Indecent exposure
- Begin to expose themselves when they are teenagers or in their early 20s.
- Acted upon urges on non-consenting person.
Voyeurism
- More common in men but is found in women too.
- Sexual arousal in the act of observing an unsuspecting person naked in the process of sexual activity.
- Not aroused by those who know they are being watched.
Frotteurism
- More common in males but found in women too.
- Person who is fully clothes becomes sexually aroused by touching or rubbing his genitals against other, non-consenting people.
- Choose crowded places so they can escape arrest.
- High frequency.
Pedophilic disorder
- Recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child.
- The person must be at least 16 and at least 5 years older than the child.
- They do not always act on their fantasies but if they do, the child usually knows the perpetrator.
Origins of paraphiliacs
- 95% of people who seek treatment are men
- They are seldom isolated phenomena. People who exhibit one type will often exhibit others.
Frequency of paraphiliacs
- Little evidence
- Deviant or perverse behaviors, low likelihood of people to readily divulge their secret.
Biological factors of paraphiliacs: Endocrine system
- Collection of glands that regulate sexual response through the release of hormones.
- High levels of testosterone in sexually violent offenders.
- Might not be generalizable.
Biological factors of paraphiliacs: neurological abnormalities
- Temporal lobes, specifically amygdala and hippocampus play a role in aggression and sexual behavior. If damage = unusual sexual behavior - kluver-bucy syndrome
- Circuit that regulates the 4 Fs - feeding, fighting, fleeing, and fornication
Social factors of paraphiliacs:
- Distortion of normal mating process - evolutionary context.
- Male primates’ sexual sequene:
1. Location and apraisal
2. Exchange of signals to communicate mutual interest.
3. Tactile interaction that set the stage for intercourse.
Childhood experiences:
- Early crossing of normative sexual boundaries through direct or indirect experience.
- Lack of consistent parental environment where normal sexual behaviors and values were modeled.
- Lack of self-esteem, confidence and ability in social interactions
- Ignorance and poor understanding of human sexuality.
Low interpersonal skills:
- Failure to achieve intimacy in relationships
- Lonely , insecure, isolate
- Deficits in social skills
Psychological factors of paraphilia
Love map:
- mental picture of a person’s ideal sexual relationship.
- Imitation of parents and other adults
- Optimal: love and lust are found in the same person.
- Voyeurism, exhibitionism, fetishism are distorted love maps.
