P-06-16 Dealing With the Intersection Between Intellectual Disability and Gender Dysphoria. A Case of Female-to-Male Civil Identity Change

Abstract

Transgender and gender nonconforming people (TGNC) have been progressively more recognized over the last two decades, in particular due to an improvement in public information that eases their ability to expose their gender identity and coming-out. Very little research has been conducted on TGNC with intellectual disability. Qualitative case study. We discuss a case of a mentally disabled 28 years old female, sent by her private psychiatrist for follow-up in hospital sexology consultation. Born from an uneventful pregnancy, she was registered as a female. It was quickly noticed a delay in walking and great difficulty in learning, reaching a low level of education. At the time of the menarche (14 years old) she felt a lot of discomfort with her body, trying to hide the feminine characteristics; she preferred male clothes or dressing in androgynous fashion, and wanted to be perceived as a boy. At age 26 she identified herself with a person with gender dysphoria interviewed on television and realized that it was possible to fulfill her desire. Her parents reacted negatively and took her to the psychiatrist, who directed her to the sexology consultation. Demonstrating intellectual difficulties, he asked to be treated as male. His discomfort inherent to the incongruity between his body and his gender identity was evident. The consultation team intervened with his parents, which allowed some behavioral changes, facilitating the adoption of more masculine roles. After 2 years he was already treated by his male name at work, and began a hormone treatment with good adaptation, while changing his civil identity.