Characteristics of a Population with Gender Incongruence Assisted at a Specialized Outpatient Service in the City of Ribeirão Preto

Abstract

Objective To identify the age when individuals first perceive gender incongruence (GI) and to compare sociodemographic data of female-to-male (FtM) and male-to-female (MtF) transgender individuals assisted at an outpatient service. Methods The present cross-sectional study was conducted through a review of the medical records of individuals diagnosed with GI at a single specialized outpatient service in the city of Ribeirão Preto, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Results A total of 193 medical records from 2010 to 2018 were evaluated, and 109 (56.5%) patients had GI since childhood. The FtM transgender individuals perceived GI in childhood more often than the MtF transgender individuals (odds ratio [OR]: 2.06, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.11–3.81) Unattended hormone use was highest among the MtF group (69.6% versus 32.3%; OR: 4.78, 95%CI: 2.53–9.03). All of the individuals who were engaged in prostitution or were diagnosed with a sexually-transmitted infection, including HIV, were in the MtF group. Conclusion Despite the more prevalent perception of GI in childhood among the FtM group, social issues were more prevalent among the MtF group, which may be the result of social marginalization.