[Transgender in Adolescence: State of the Art and Future Research Needs]. / Transgender im Jugendalter: Forschungsstand und zukünftiger Forschungsbedarf.

Transgender in adolescence is currently a widely discussed topic, additionally reflected by an increasing prevalence in clinical practice. The present review of the available literature on transgender, trans* , gender dysphoria or gender incongruence in youth reports results on the long-term results of medical interventions for the psychological well-being, prevalence, referral rates and sex ratio, developmental pathways, current developments and the role of the social environment. Finally, implications for clinical care and future research will be discussed.

Role of Sexuality in Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID): A Cross-Sectional Internet-Based Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Body integrity identity disorder (BIID)-a strong desire for amputation or paralysis-is often accompanied by feelings and cognitions of sexual arousal, although this sexual component has been largely neglected in the recent literature. AIM: To examine the presence of BIID-related sexual arousal in subjects with BIID and explore clinical and demographic variables of subjects with BIID who do and do not possess this sexual arousal. METHODS: Eighty individuals with BIID responded to an internet-based survey we created. For all subjects, restoring identity was the primary motivation for preferred body modification. We collected data about respondents' demographic, clinical, and sexual characteristics. Based on responses to questions about BIID-specific sexual desires, subjects were assigned to the group with BIID-related sexual feelings (S-BIID; n = 57) or the group without such feelings (NS-BIID; n = 23). OUTCOMES: Differences in clinical, demographic, and sexual characteristics between S-BIID and NS-BIID groups. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 71.3% endorsed S-BIID. Subjects with S-BIID were significantly more often men, religious, and of a homosexual identity compared with the NS-BIID group. Subjects with S-BIID also significantly more often reported a change in localization and/or intensity of their BIID feelings over time. Furthermore, 66.7% of subjects with S-BIID reported S-BIID as an additional motivation for body modification. Seven of the 57 subjects with S-BIID achieved their preferred body modification through (self)-amputation, whereas none of the subjects with NS-BIID did. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: BIID is a heterogeneous disorder in which subjects who self-reported comorbid sexual arousal more often resorted to (self-induced) amputation. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This study contains the largest BIID cohort presented in the literature and is the first to genuinely research sexuality in BIID. The first limitation is the lack of face-to-face interviews with the subjects, so no clinical diagnoses could be made. Moreover, there is an ascertainment bias because subjects were collected through the internet and in English, which excluded those who spoke other languages or subjects without an internet connection. CONCLUSION: The present study provides preliminary evidence for a subpopulation or distinct group of individuals with BIID based on the presence of S-BIID. Blom RM, van der Wal SJ, Vulink NC, Denys D. Role of Sexuality in Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID): A Cross-Sectional Internet-Based Survey Study. J Sex Med 2017;14:1028-1035.

Increased Cross-Gender Identification Independent of Gender Role Behavior in Girls with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: Results from a Standardized Assessment of 4- to 11-Year-Old Children.

While reports showing a link between prenatal androgen exposure and human gender role behavior are consistent and the effects are robust, associations to gender identity or cross-gender identification are less clear. The aim of the current study was to investigate potential cross-gender identification in girls exposed prenatally to high concentrations of androgens due to classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Assessment included two standardized measures and a short parent interview assessing frequency of behavioral features of cross-gender identification as conceptualized in Part A of the diagnostic criteria for gender identity disorder (GID) in the DSM-IV-TR. Next, because existing measures may have conflated gender role behavior with gender identity and because the distinction is potentially informative, we factor analyzed items from the measures which included both gender identity and gender role items to establish the independence of the two constructs. Participants were 43 girls and 38 boys with CAH and 41 unaffected female and 31 unaffected male relatives, aged 4- to 11-years. Girls with CAH had more cross-gender responses than female controls on all three measures of cross-gender identification as well as on a composite measure of gender identity independent of gender role behavior. Furthermore, parent report indicated that 5/39 (12.8 %) of the girls with CAH exhibited cross-gender behavior in all five behavioral domains which comprise the cross-gender identification component of GID compared to 0/105 (0.0 %) of the children in the other three groups combined. These data suggest that girls exposed to high concentrations of androgens prenatally are more likely to show cross-gender identification than girls without CAH or boys with and without CAH. Our findings suggest that prenatal androgen exposure could play a role in gender identity development in healthy children, and may be relevant to gender assignment in cases of prenatal hormone disruption, including, in particular, cases of severely virilized 46, XX CAH.

[A validation study of the German version of the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI)]. / Eine Validierungsstudie der deutschen Version des Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI).

Hypersexuality is characterized by recurrent and intense sexual fantasies, sexual urges, or sexual behaviors resulting in clinically significant personal distress or impairment in social, occupa-tional, or other important areas of functioning. The Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI, Reid et al., 2011) is a 3-factor measure (coping, control and consequences) developed to assess hypersexual behaviour. The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the German version of the HBI. In a sample consisting of 1 749 men and women the questionnaire was used as part of an online survey. The questionnaire showed good reliability and validity. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the 3-factor structure of the original English version. The results and potential benefit of the HBI in research and clinical practice are discussed.

[Gender identity disorders or andromimetic behaviour in a victim of incest--a case study]. / Zaburzenia identyfikacji plciowej czy zachowania andromimetyczne u ofiary kazirodztwa--studium przypadku.

Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly difficult to clearly classify the issues associated with the phenomenon of gender dysphoria due to the fact that one identifies oneself in the context of increasingly fluid categories of gender identity-- an intrinsic sense of being a woman or a man. The authors present a woman whose internal problems connected with her sexuality and incomplete identification with the role attributed to her gender originate from her family history. Long-lasting, traumatic experiences of incestuous abuse and violence on the part of close relatives disturbed her development in many areas of personality and functioning. The aim of the study was to verify the hypothesis of the existence of gender identity disorder accompanied by depressive disorders. In addition to the medical history, the study of patient's problems included the following diagnostic tools: the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Rorschach Inkblot Test in a CSR Exner system (TPA). The study revealed that as for sexual identification, the patient unambiguously identifies herself as a woman. Her behaviour to become like a man does not deny her sex, or even involve a temporary need of belonging to the opposite sex. It should be interpreted in the broader context of her traumatic experiences, not just sexual, but also concerning different aspects of a female gender role.

[Constructing a multicenter collaboration system].

Providing medical care for Gender Identity Disorder (GID) poses enormous challenges and difficulties. The one obstacle to overcome is building a pluralistic treatment system in collaboration with experts from various fields of medicine as outlined in "Guidelines for Treatment and Diagnosis of GID version 3rd" established by the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology. Another obstacle includes the multilayered decision tree in deployment of physical as well as psychiatric treatment. Offering continuous supports of the pluralistic treatment system following the multilayered decision tree poses a major obstacle. In this report, we examined these obstacles from a perspective of the actually accessible healthcare resources and came up with a proposal of constructing a multicenter collaboration system. As one of concrete example of a solution to these obstacles, we demonstrated our activity of "Kansai GID network." By sustaining these activities, many obstacles posed in the treatment of GID could be overcome. We hope substantial and comprehensive treatment systems for GID shall be promptly established in Japan.

Cross-sectional study of psychosocial well-being among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual gynecologic cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Delays in care and increased risk for mental health diagnoses put individuals identifying as a sexual minority with cancer at risk for decreased quality of life. AIM: To assess psychosocial health among sexual minority gynecologic cancer survivors, we compared self-reported quality of life and psychosocial measures between individuals diagnosed with gynecologic cancers identifying as lesbian/gay/bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual. METHODS AND RESULTS: English-speaking adults with gynecologic cancers were invited to participate in an ongoing cohort survey study. Quality of life and psychosocial measures included the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General, Distress Thermometer (distress), Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (depression), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (anxiety), and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (post-traumatic stress disorder; PTSD). Measures were compared by self-reported sexual orientation (heterosexual vs. LGB) using descriptive statistics (frequencies and means) and linear and logistic regression models, adjusting for college education. Of 814 patients invited, 457 enrolled (56.1%) and 401 (92.6%) completed the survey and provided information on their sexuality. All but one self-identified as cisgender women and 22 (5.5%) as LGB. LGB participants were more likely to have completed college (68.2% vs. 40.1%, p = .009) but were otherwise similar across demographic and clinical characteristics. Quality of life and distress scores were similar between groups. LGB participants, compared to heterosexual, reported higher rates of depression (31.8% vs. 10.6%, adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 4.1 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-11.0], p = .004), anxiety (25.0% vs. 7.1%, adjusted OR = 5.4 [95% CI: 1.7-16.7], p= .004), and PTSD (13.6% vs. 3.5%, adjusted OR = 4.2 [95% CI: 1.1-16.3], p = .04). CONCLUSION: LGB participants reported poorer emotional health following a gynecologic cancer diagnosis than heterosexual participants. Our data suggest this population may need additional resources and support during and after their cancer diagnosis. Future work is needed to identify additional risk factors and the underlying sources of these disparities in order to improve patient care and wellness in this population.

Hormonal therapy and sex reassignment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of quality of life and psychosocial outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognosis of individuals with gender identity disorder (GID) receiving hormonal therapy as a part of sex reassignment in terms of quality of life and other self-reported psychosocial outcomes. METHODS: We searched electronic databases, bibliography of included studies and expert files. All study designs were included with no language restrictions. Reviewers working independently and in pairs selected studies using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted outcome and quality data. We used a random-effects meta-analysis to pool proportions and estimate the 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We estimated the proportion of between-study heterogeneity not attributable to chance using the I(2) statistic. RESULTS: We identified 28 eligible studies. These studies enrolled 1833 participants with GID (1093 male-to-female, 801 female-to-male) who underwent sex reassignment that included hormonal therapies. All the studies were observational and most lacked controls. Pooling across studies shows that after sex reassignment, 80% of individuals with GID reported significant improvement in gender dysphoria (95% CI = 68-89%; 8 studies; I(2) = 82%); 78% reported significant improvement in psychological symptoms (95% CI = 56-94%; 7 studies; I(2) = 86%); 80% reported significant improvement in quality of life (95% CI = 72-88%; 16 studies; I(2) = 78%); and 72% reported significant improvement in sexual function (95% CI = 60-81%; 15 studies; I(2) = 78%). CONCLUSIONS: Very low quality evidence suggests that sex reassignment that includes hormonal interventions in individuals with GID likely improves gender dysphoria, psychological functioning and comorbidities, sexual function and overall quality of life.

Reduction in Mental Health Treatment Utilization Among Transgender Individuals After Gender-Affirming Surgeries: A Total Population Study.

OBJECTIVE: Despite professional recommendations to consider gender-affirming hormone and surgical interventions for transgender individuals experiencing gender incongruence, the long-term effect of such interventions on mental health is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorder health care visits and antidepressant and anxiolytic prescriptions in 2015 as a function of gender incongruence diagnosis and gender-affirming hormone and surgical treatment in the entire Swedish population. METHODS: This study used the Swedish Total Population Register (N=9,747,324), linked to the National Patient Register and the Prescribed Drug Register. Among individuals who received a diagnosis of gender incongruence (i.e., transsexualism or gender identity disorder) between 2005 and 2015 (N=2,679), mental health treatment in 2015 was examined as a function of length of time since gender-affirming hormone and surgical treatment. Outcome measures were mood and anxiety disorder health care visits, antidepressant and anxiolytic prescriptions, and hospitalization after a suicide attempt. RESULTS: Compared with the general population, individuals with a gender incongruence diagnosis were about six times as likely to have had a mood and anxiety disorder health care visit, more than three times as likely to have received prescriptions for antidepressants and anxiolytics, and more than six times as likely to have been hospitalized after a suicide attempt. Years since initiating hormone treatment was not significantly related to likelihood of mental health treatment (adjusted odds ratio=1.01, 95% CI=0.98, 1.03). However, increased time since last gender-affirming surgery was associated with reduced mental health treatment (adjusted odds ratio=0.92, 95% CI=0.87, 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: In this first total population study of transgender individuals with a gender incongruence diagnosis, the longitudinal association between gender-affirming surgery and reduced likelihood of mental health treatment lends support to the decision to provide gender-affirming surgeries to transgender individuals who seek them.

Disfunciones y trastornos sexuales en mujeres en climaterio: pacientes del Instituto Nacional de Perinatología / Sexual dysfunctions and disorders in climacteric women: patients from the national institute of perinatology"

La sexualidad es una de las áreas que sufre cambios importantes cuando la mujer se instala en el climaterio, estos cambios se conocen como trastornos y/o disfunciones sexuales. Material y método: en el Instituto Nacional de Perinatología se llevó a cabo un estudio con 139 mujeres en climaterio; se utilizó la encuesta de síntomas y la Historia Clínica Codificada de la Sexualidad Femenina (HCCSF) para conocer la presencia de las disfunciones y/o trastornos sexuales y los factores asociados a estos. Resultados: no se encontró relación alguna entre las variables sociodemográficas y la presencia de disfunciones sexuales; de la muestra, 124 mujeres presentaron al menos una disfunción sexual. Conclusión: aquellas mujeres que cuentan con información sexual a edades tempranas, que tienen deseo y cooperan durante la relación sexual y que además han explorado su sexualidad con más de una pareja, tienen un efecto protector para no presentar disfunciones sexuales. Por otra parte, la presencia de trastornos sexuales se asocia exclusivamente con padecimientos médicos y de salud en la mujer como en la pareja.

Sexuality is one of the areas that undergoes important changes when women settle in climacteric, these changes are known as sexual disorders and/or dysfunctions. Methods: A study was carried out at the National Institute of Perinatology with 139 women in climacteric. The survey of symptoms and the Codified Clinical History of Female Sexuality (HCCSF) were used to determine the presence of sexual dysfunctions and/or disorders and the factors associated with them. Results: No relationship was found between sociodemographic variables and the presence of sexual dysfunctions. Of the sample, 124 women presented at least one sexual dysfunction. Conclusion: Those women who have sexual information at an early age, who have desire and cooperate during sexual intercourse and who have explored their sexuality with more than one partner, have a protective effect for not presenting sexual dysfunctions. On the other hand, the presence of sexual disorders is associated exclusively with medical and health conditions in both the woman and the couple.

Assessing and addressing inappropriate sexual behavior in brain-injured clients.

Inappropriate sexual comments and behaviors from clients with brain injuries can be frustrating, awkward, and time consuming for the nurses who are caring for them. Understanding the meaning of these comments and behaviors, as well as receiving direction concerning ways to handle the situation can help nurses overcome their frustration and improve the quality of nursing care. This article examines potential underlying causes of inappropriate sexual behavior, explains the behaviors from client, family, staff, and organizational perspectives, and begins to look at ways to respectfully and sensitively address the behaviors using a model and framework developed by the Sexual Health Service (SHS) at Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (VHHSC), in British Columbia, Canada.

[Diagnosis and treatment of gender identity disorder].

According to DSM-IV criteria, gender identity disorder(GID) is characterized as follows: 1) Strong, persistent cross-gender identification. 2) Persistent discomfort with one's assigned sex or the Sense of inappropriateness in that gender role. 3) Not due to an intersex condition. In this chapter, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of GID are briefly described. Possible pathogenesis of GID is also discussed.

Behavioral and emotional problems on the Teacher's Report Form: a cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis of gender dysphoric children and adolescents.

For gender dysphoric children and adolescents, the school environment may be challenging due to peer social ostracism and rejection. To date, information on the psychological functioning and the quality of peer relations in gender dysphoric children and adolescents has been studied via parental report, peer sociometric methods, and social interactions in laboratory play groups. The present study was the first cross-national investigation that assessed behavior and emotional problems and the quality of peer relations, both measured by the Teacher's Report Form (TRF), in a sample of 728 gender dysphoric patients (554 children, 174 adolescents), who were referred to specialized gender identity clinics in the Netherlands and Canada. The gender dysphoric adolescents had significantly more teacher-reported emotional and behavioral problems than the gender dysphoric children. In both countries, gender dysphoric natal boys had poorer peer relations and more internalizing than externalizing problems compared to the gender dysphoric natal girls. Furthermore, there were significant between-clinic differences: both the children and the adolescents from Canada had more emotional and behavioral problems and a poorer quality of peer relations than the children and adolescents from the Netherlands. In conclusion, gender dysphoric children and adolescents showed the same pattern of emotional and behavioral problems in both countries. The extent of behavior and emotional problems was, however, higher in Canada than in the Netherlands, which appeared, in part, an effect of a poorer quality of peer relations. Per Bronfenbrenner's (American Psychologist, 32, 513-531, 1977) ecological model of human development and well-being, we consider various interpretations of the cross-national, cross-clinic differences on TRF behavior problems at the level of the family, the peer group, and the culture at large.

Breast cancer: reviewing the past to give direction for the future.

Since the 1970s, significant advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Incidence rates increased during the 1980s and 1990s but began to decrease about 2% each year for women aged 50 years and older beginning in the year 2000, with a 7% decrease in the year 2002 (Siegel, Naishadham, & Jemal, 2013). Mortality rates in the United States also have decreased since 1990, particularly in women younger than 50 years. The declining incidence of breast cancer and improved mortality rates have been attributed to early detection, improved treatment, and research investigating factors associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. However, challenges such as limited effective treatment for symptoms resulting from estrogen deprivation still exist.