Parental contact in male and female transsexuals

Abstract

The parental contact reported by 12 biologically male and 12 biologically female transsexuals was compared with that reported by control subjects (109 conscripts in the Swedish Army; 101 pregnant nulliparous women). Parental contact was estimated for three different periods: 1) childhood, 2) adolescence, 3) the year before investigation. Transsexual patients generally reported less satisfactory relations to both parents than same-sexed control subjects. A pattern characterized by warm and intense contact with the cross-sexed parent and poor contact with the same-sexed one was observed in about half of the male transsexuals, but not in the female ones. Our findings suggest that disturbed emotional relations to the parents may be one contributory cause in the development of transsexualism and are in accordance with the hypothesis that gender identity grows out of an interaction of biological and environmental factors.