T04-O-06

Gender identity conflicts and psychological problems in adult subjects
with different forms of intersexuality (disorders of sex development,
dsd): the Hamburg Intersexnext term project

H. Richter-Appelta

aInstitute for Sex Research, Hamburg, Germany

Available online 27 June 2008.

Our knowledge of the treatment options and long-term outcomes with
different forms of intersexuality is insufficient. The demand for life
long follow-up studies asks for more than surgical outcomes data. The
objective of the Hamburg follow-up study is not only to gather
information about physical development and treatment experiences of
individuals with different forms of intersexuality but also about
their gender identity problems, social life and especially about their
psychological problems and well-being.

A comprehensive questionnaire was developed that comprises
standardized as well as self-constructed instruments. The instruments
assessed demographic aspects, physical and sexuel development,
diagnotic procedures hormonal and surgical treatment interventions,
gender identity, gender role, psychological impairments.

The sample includes 70 subjects with partial or complete androgen
insensitivity, disturbances of androgen biosynthesis, gonadal
dysgenesis (46, XY karyotype; co called XY women) and subjects with
CAH (46, XX karyotype.

Gender identity conflicts in intersex subjects living in the female
role will be described. Optimal treatment policy demands a stable
Gender identity in adulthood. This is the basic assumption for medical
treatment procedures. Encouraged by the public discussion and by
members of support groups many subjects ask for a more flexible view
of gender identity and sexual health.

From our data one can conclude that not all subjects finally want to
live in a clear male or female gender role as adults. Not all of them
want heterosexual relationships with the possibility of having
heterosexual intercourse with penetration. The option of medical
treatment procedures of sex assignment surgeries will be discussed.

Sexologies
Volume 17, Supplement 1, April 2008, Page S79
Abstracts of the 9th Congress of the European Federation of Sexology