HP-02-001 The relation between sexual dysfunction and sexual pleasure in transgender individuals: results from the ENIGI follow-up study

Abstract

Recently, research attention for the sexual life of individuals with Gender Dysphoria (GD, also referred to as transgender individuals), is increasing. Research has shown that the prevalence rates of sexual dysfunction (including the experience of distress) in transgender persons having received Gender Confirming Interventions (GCI) were higher compared to the general population. However, less is known on the impact of having one or more sexual dysfunctions on sexual pleasure. Further, it is possible that this relationship differs between individuals in different treatment trajectories (e.g. no medical treatment versus only hormone treatment versus hormone treatment and genital surgery), and also between individuals with fulfilled and continuing treatment intentions. This study is part of the ENIGI (European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence) follow-up study. An online survey was presented to transgender persons four to six years after first clinical contact in the gender clinics of Amsterdam, Ghent or Hamburg. The participants filled in the Amsterdam Sexual Pleasure Index (ASPI) (Werner, Gaasterland, van Lunsen & Laan, in press), a recently developed questionnaire to measure sexual pleasure, and answered a broad range of questions about sexual dysfunctions (including the distress criteria). 560 individuals participated; 523 individuals filled out data on sexual functioning.