XVI Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association Symposium
17 - 21 August 1999, London

Reflections on "Transsexualism and Sex Reassignment" 1969 -1999

Sex Reassignment of Adolescent Transsexuals: Replication and Extension of a Follow-Up Study

Smith, Yolanda L.S., M.Sc., van Goozen, Stephanie, H.M., Ph.D., Cohen-Kettenis,

Peggy T., Ph.D.

Since 1987 adolescents with gender identity disorder have been diagnosed and treated at the gender clinic at Utrecht University Hospital. In our paper two follow-up studies will be presented. The treated patients were invited to attend the gender clinic 1 to 6 years after completion of the sex reassignment surgery (SRS) procedure; in one study patients who did not start or were rejected for treatment were also included in the follow-up.

The aim of the studies was to examine how this relatively young group was functioning physically, psychologically, and socially. An extensive structured interview and a battery of psychological tests were administered by someone not involved in the diagnosis and treatment of transsexuals. Important domains of inquiry were: satisfaction with the outcome of the surgical operations, effects of hormonal treatment, psychological functioning, social functioning, and gender role adaptation. The post-treatment data concerning each of these domains will be compared with the patients’ own pre-treatment data.

Implications of our findings with respect to the timing of the SRS procedure will be discussed.