Sexual Behavior, Desire, and Psychosexual Experience in Gynephilic and Androphilic Trans Women: A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study

Abstract

Background One of the most prominent etiological theories of gender incongruence in trans women proposes a paraphilic erotic target location error (ie, autogynephilia) as a causal factor in gynephilic (ie, exclusively gynephilic and bisexual) trans women. We hypothesized that a paraphilic erotic target location should manifest itself in various aspects of sexual behavior, solitary and dyadic sexual desire, and psychosexual experience. Aim To compare sexual behavior, sexual desire, and psychosexual experience of exclusively gynephilic and bisexual trans women with that of androphilic trans women to explore whether their sexuality differs substantially. Methods Trans women diagnosed with gender dysphoria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–5) were recruited at 4 transgender healthcare centers in Germany. The present study analyzed items on sexual behavior, desire, and experience of a self-report questionnaire, collected as part of a cross-sectional multicenter study. Main Outcomes Multiple aspects of sexuality were examined using self-constructed items. Sexual desire was measured using the Sexual Desire Inventory and psychosexual experience using the Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire. Results Significantly more exclusively gynephilic than androphilic trans women reported a history of sexual arousal in relation to cross-dressing. However, little evidence was found that gynephilic and androphilic sexual desire, behavior, and psychosexual experience differ profoundly. Interestingly, a statistically non-significant trend indicated that gynephilic trans women who had not yet undergone gender affirming surgery showed the highest levels of sexual desire (solitary and dyadic), whereas the opposite was the case for androphilic trans women. Clinical Translation Data of this study indicate that sexual orientation does not appear to be a good predicator for sexual behavior, desire, and psychosexual experience in trans women. Strengths and Limitations We investigated sexual desire and experience using standardized and evaluated measures such as the Sexual Desire Inventory and Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire. Future studies with a larger sample size should investigate how different gender affirming medical intervention might have diverging influences on sexual behavior, desire, and experience. Conclusion Ultimately, this study found little evidence for the hypothesis that sexual behavior, sexual desire, and psychosexual experience differ substantially in gynephilic (exclusively gynephilic and bisexual) and androphilic trans women.

Sexual function of transgender women after gender affirming surgery: A mini review

“…There were four cross‐sectional studies (Elaut et al, 2008; Kerckhof et al, 2019; Sigurjónsson et al, 2017; Wierckx et al, 2014), one cohort study (Garz et al, 2021), two prospective studies (LeBreton et al, 2017; Zavlin et al, 2018), four prospective cohort studies (Bouman et al, 2016; Buncamper et al, 2017; Cardoso da Silva et al, 2016; Krege et al, 2001), five retrospective studies (Amend et al, 2013; Buncamper et al, 2015; Hess et al, 2018; Manrique et al, 2018; van der Sluis et al, 2016), one observational multicenter study (Laube et al, 2020).…”

“…According to sexual orientation, 11 (44%) (LeBreton et al, 2017), 77 (36%) (Wierckx et al, 2014), 72 (33.7%) (Hess et al, 2018) were heterosexual. 4 (16%) (LeBreton et al, 2017), 24 (11.2%) (Wierckx et al, 2014), 28 (28%) (Garz et al, 2021), 26 (44.82%) (Laube et al, 2020) were bisexual. 5 (20%) (LeBreton et al, 2017), 102 (47.7%) (Wierckx et al, 2014), 45 (37.6%) (Hess et al, 2018) were homosexual.…”

“…The study of Wierckx et al (2014) showed data from 7 years of HT. The study of Laube et al (2020) The authors used the terms Androphile and Gynephile to refer of sexual orientation. Being androphile attraction for men or masculinity, and gynephile attraction for women of femininity.…”

“…The sexual arousal was assessed in two studies. The study of Laube et al (2020) showed that 10 (83.3%) of gynephilic, 11 (78.3%) of bisexual, and 3 (42.9%) of androphilic had sexual arousal sometimes, 1 (8.3%) of gynephilic, 2 (14.3%) of bisexual, and 2 (28.6%) of androphilic referred sexual arousal often, and 1 (8.3%) of gynephilic, 1 (7.1%) of bisexual, and 2 (28.6%) of androphilic referred sexual arousal every time. The study of Kerckhof et al (2019) showed that 15.9% of trans women had difficulties to get sexually aroused.…”

Gender dysphoria and sexual euphoria – A Bayesian perspective on the influence of gender-affirming hormone therapy on sexual arousal

“…This duality comes along with interrelations manifesting as sexual orientations as well as biological and social self-perceptions. The categorical concepts of hetero-, bi- and homosexuality are relatively clear for cisgender (CX) but much less so when considering transgender (TX) persons (Auer et al, 2014; Cerwenka et al, 2014; Laube et al, 2020; Schrock & Reid, 2006). Although the terms “androphilia”, “gynephilia” and “ambiphilia” are less ambiguous, they do not reflect the fluidity of sexual orientation.…”