An epidemiological and demographic study of transsexuals in the Netherlands

Abstract

This is an epidemiological and demographic study of 1285 transsexuals in the Netherlands. The data were collected from 1975 to the end of 1992. Over 95% of the Dutch transsexuals have been treated at the study center. Between 1975 and 1984 the annual number of female-to-male transsexuals increased, stabilizing thereafter. In the male-to-female transsexuals this trend continued up to 1989, declining slightly thereafter. Over the last 5 years on average 50 (range 38-60) male-to-female transsexuals and 21 (range 14-25) female-to-male transsexuals received surgical and/or hormonal treatment yearly. The sex ratio remained stable over this period: 3 male vs. 1 female subject. The calculated prevalence of transsexualism in The Netherlands is 1:11,900 males and 1:30,400 females. Transsexuals live predominantly in urbanized areas, but those living in nonurbanized areas show an even distribution over the country. The majority of female-to-male transsexuals apply for reassignment between the ages of 20-25, seldom in middle ages. The majority of male-to-female transsexuals do so between the ages of 25-30 and middle-aged subjects are not rare. Between 77-80% of both categories receive surgical and/or hormonal treatment. Five male-to-female transsexuals regretted sex reassignment.

Sex ratio of transsexuals in Germany: the development over three decades

“…In the following two decades the ratio remained at about 2.5:1 (so far few ®gures are available from the 1990s). A recent study tends to con®rm this ®gure for Holland (1). Other investigations in past years found the ®gures for the two sexes even closer (2±5, 7).…”

“…In fact, the only reliable ®gures available, taken from large samples observed over a long period of time, come from Sweden and Holland. While in Holland the sex ratio has remained more or less stable at 3:1 for many years (1), more recent research in Sweden has shown a smaller difference between the sexes of about 1.4:1 (2,3). Findings from the United States (4,5), Canada (6) and Belgium (7) con®rm that transsexualism is being found increasingly almost equally frequently in both sexes.…”

Estudio descriptivo de la transexualidad en Navarra

“…La prevalencia estimada de transexualidad es variable según el sexo biológico; en base a diferentes estudios europeos, aproximadamente 1 de cada 11.900 varones adultos son transexuales femeninos y 1 de cada 30.400 mujeres adultas son transexuales masculinos 6,7 . Según estas prevalencias, y teniendo en cuenta que en Navarra había censados (en 2011) 320.656 varones y 321.395 mujeres, se estima una prevalencia en Navarra de 27 transexuales femeninas y 11 transexuales masculinos aproximadamente 8 .…”

Where medicine meets the boundaries of manhood and womanhood

“…The prevalence of transsexualism as assessed in The Netherlands and based on numbers of people seeking sex reassignment, is 1 : 11 900 men and 1 : 30 400 women. 9 These figures are very stable. They are somewhat lower than those of Singapore but higher than those in Sweden.…”

“…9 For instance, in Serbia, the ratio is close to 1 : 1, 11 and in Japan 1 : 2. 10 There is no good explanation for this sex difference, neither for the geographical variation.…”