biological explanation

• genetic factors

  coolidge 2000 assessed 157 twins pairs for evidence of gender dysphoria. researcher found 62% variance genetic factors , strong heritable component of gender dysphoria. found 39% mz twins concordance gender dysphoria compared to 0 dz twins. indicates genetic factors are present
• brain sex theory

  gender dysphoria basis in brain structure the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. structure involved in emotional responses . area larger in men than women and been found to be female sized in transgender females (kruijner 2000) lead to suggestion ppl who have gender dysphoria have bst the size of their gender identity. dimorphism of bst best fits with the report made by people who are transgender that thyey feel from childhood wrong sex (zhou 1995). kruijner 2000 study 6 transgender showed average bst neruon no. in female range
• -brain sex theory centeral claims challenged. Pol 2006 studied changes in transgender individuals brains using MRI scans taken during hormone treatment. scans showed that size of the BST changed significantly over that period. studied by kruijver and zhou the bst was examined post mortem and after hormone treatment during gender reassignment. it suggests that the differences in the bst may be due to the effect of hormone therapy not cause gender dysphoria
• +evidence other brain differences associated gender dysphoria. rametti 2011 studied another sexually dimorphic aspect of the brain white matter. there are regional differences in the proportion of white matter in male and female brains. rametti analysed the brains of both male and female transgender individuals, crucially before they began hormone treatment as part of gender reassignment. in most cases the amount and distribution of white matter corresponded more closely to the gender the individuals identified. suggests early differences in the brains of transgender individuals
• for some individuals knowing that there is a biological basis to GD may be a relief. classifying GD as a medical catergory requiring treatment removes responsibility from the person as a consequence less likely to assume its their fault. but others may object to the label of mental disorder being applied to gender dysphoria. such label risk stigmatising those who are subject to it characterising them as ill rather than different. research into GD shape how society views the label and researchers and clinicians should avoid reinforcing damaging stereotype