gender dysphoria

• gender dysphoria is when a persons biological prescribed sex does not reflect how they feel inside and the gender they identify themselves to be
• • Individuals with gender dysphoria do not identify with the sex assigned at birth
  • Gender dysphoria can be a source of stress and discomfort 
  • Gender dysphoria is a psychological disorder in the DSM-V 
• • Biological factors + Social factors = gender dysphoria 
  • Gender dysphoria is an interactionist explanation 
• Biological explanations of atypical gender development:

  • Males are exposed to lack of androgens (testosterone) during prenatal development or girls are exposed to too many androgens - as a result, the brain develops in a way which is inconsistent with chromosomes and genitalia 
• Brain sex theory:

  • Certain structures in males and females brains are different 
  • The BSTc is twice as large in males compared to females 
  • The size of BSTc correlates with the preferred sex and not biological sex 
  • This is neurological evidence to support gender dysphoria 
• Biological explanations - the role of genes:

  • Genes can cause gender dysphoria

  Evidence: ao3

  • Heylens et al:  found a strong concordance rate between MZ twins (39%) compared with DZ twins (0%) for gender dysphoria - suggesting a possible genetic basis to gender dysphoria 
• Atypical gender development- social explanations

  • Psychoanalytic (unconscious) theory:

  Oversy et al: social relationships in the family at a young age cause later gender dysphoria. Biological males develop gender dysphoria if extreme separation anxiety from mum occurs before gender identity is est (before age 2). Boy fantasises a symbiotic fusion (becoming mother) with mum to relieve the anxiety of separation from mum - because the boy becomes mum, he adopts a female gender identity.