Nineteen transsexuals, approved for sex
reassignement, were followed-up after 5 years. Outcome was evaluated as
changes in seven areas of social, psychological, and psychiatric
functioning. At baseline the patients were evaluated according to axis I,
II, V (DSM-III-R), SCID screen, SASB (Structural Analysis of Social
Behavior), and DMT (Defense Mechanism Test).
At follow-up all but 1 were treated with
contrary sex hormones, 12 had completed sex reassignment surgery, and 3
females were waiting for phalloplasty. One male transsexual regretted the
decision to change sex and had quit the process. Two transsexuals had still
not had any surgery due to older age or ambivalence.
Overall, 68% (n = 13) had improved in at
least two areas of functioning. In 3 cases (16%) outcome were judged as
unsatisfactory and one of those regarded sex change as a failure. Another 3
patients were mainly unchanged after 5 years. Female transsexuals had a
slightly better outcome, especially concerning establishing and maintaining
partnerships and improvement in socio-economic status compared to male
transsexuals.
Baseline factors associated with negative
outcome (unchanged or worsened) were presence of a personality disorder and
high number of fulfilled axis II criteria. SCID screen assessments had high
prognostic power. Negative self-image, according to SASB, predicted a
negative outcome, whereas DMT variables were not correlated to outcome.
Citation:
Arch Sex Behav 1996 Jun;25(3):303-16 an article
published on the Internet by PubMed <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/>
