Biology of Gender Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biology of Gender Identity - Essay Example In a study (Morgan and Stevens, 2008) the experiences of four FTM transsexuals with their mean age at 40.5 were studied. The subjects mentioned that they recognized they recognized themselves as males from early as they can remember. All the subjects experienced confusion regarding their gender identity and a sense of being born in the wrong body. All the four subjects expressed their strong identification with male gender and feeling of anger when others refused o recognize it. Puberty was another major point in their life when their sense of mind body dissonance exaggerated. One subject went as far as trying to bind the breasts with cloth and hoped to get rid of them using surgery. The subjects also found it hard to adopt the feminine attire and wanted to dress in male clothes. Their sexual relationships they all mentioned affection for the female gender and the idea that they were lesbians always sounded repugnant to them. The participants underwent transitional surgery later on in their life. The procedures they underwent included double mastectomy and plastic surgery, hysterectomy. They still felt a need for phallosplasty which they did not opt to go for because it is expensive and not well perfected surgery. The textbook mentions such subjects as male pseudohermaphrodites. One specific cause for this female physical development of genetic males mentioned in the book is the absence of an enzyme 17a hydroxysteroid, that led to non expression of male sexual characteristics and such children end up being grouped as feminine The textbook covers the biological basis of sexual differentiation and gives specific reason for the cause of pseudohermaphroditism. However it is lacking in in-depth analysis of such individuals. The journal article covers these issues however it fails to provide the biological factors that caused such