Researchers of the Dutch University Medical Center Groningen used data from TRAILS: a long-term cohort focusing on broad adolescent development that started in 2001. The researchers used data collected in more than 2,700 adolescents, who were about 11 years old at the start of the study. Those young people were assessed again at ages 13, 16, 19, 22 and 25. One of the questions was to what extent they agreed with the statement "I wish to be of the opposite sex." At age 11, eleven percent indicated they agreed with this statement. This percentage decreased each time it was asked. At age 25, four percent wished to be of the opposite sex. Many (one in five participants) expressed the wish to be of the opposite sex at some point during the study. Whilst only a small proportion (1 in 1000) consistently expressed this wish at each assessment.
The study, published in Archives of Sexual Behavior, is one of the first to capture how prevalent ‘gender non-contentedness’ is during the course of adolescence among the general population. A strength of the study is the unique long-term assessment in the general population over a 15-year period.
The authors conclude that the wish to be of the other sex is a relatively common phenomenon during normal adolescent development. The results provide new insights into different developmental patterns of gender non-contentedness in the general population. Knowledge on gender-related issues, so far, was mainly based on studies in clinical groups of patients seeking care for gender dysphoria and the associated distress, whereas this new study focuses on gender non-contentedness in the general population.
The researchers emphasize that while for the majority of adolescent participants their gender-related questions seem to be compatible with normal development, the study also suggests that a small proportion might progress into clinically relevant gender dysphoria and require appropriate care.
The researchers also found that having the desire to be of the opposite sex was associated with more psychological problems and a more negative self-image. Good care for young people with gender-related questions therefore remains as important as ever.
Read the full article: Development of Gender Non-Contentedness During Adolescence and Early Adulthood | Archives of Sexual Behavior (springer.com)
