Gender Dysphoria, Eating Disorders and Body Image: An Overview

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 518-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Milano ◽  
Paola Ambrosio ◽  
Francesa Carizzone ◽  
Valeria De Biasio ◽  
Giuseppina Foggia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Gender Dysphoria ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
The Body ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
And Gender

Background:: Gender dysphoria is a clinical condition in which a state of inner suffering, stress and anxiety is detected when biological sex and a person's gender identity do not coincide. People who identify themselves as transgender people are more vulnerable and may have higher rates of dissatisfaction with their bodies which are often associated with a disorderly diet in an attempt to change the bodily characteristics of the genus of birth and, conversely, to accentuate the characteristics of the desired sexual identity. Aim:: The purpose of this work is to examine the association between dissatisfaction with one's own body and eating and weight disorders in people with gender dysphoria. Results:: Gender dysphoria and eating disorders are characterized by a serious discomfort to the body and the body suffers in both conditions. The results of our study suggest that rates of pathological eating behaviors and symptoms related to a disordered diet are high in patients with gender dysphoria and that standard screening for these symptoms must be considered in both populations at the time of evaluation and during the course of the treatment. Conclusions:: In light of this evidence, clinicians should always investigate issues related to sexuality and gender identity in patients with eating disorders, to develop more effective prevention measures and better strategies for therapeutic intervention..

scholarly journals Gender identity and the management of the transgender patient: a guide for non-specialists

2017 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 144-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Joseph ◽  
Charlotte Cliffe ◽  
Miriam Hillyard ◽  
Azeem Majeed
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Gender Dysphoria ◽  
General Medical Council ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Medical Council ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Exact Size ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Uk

In this review, we introduce the topic of transgender medicine, aimed at the non-specialist clinician working in the UK. Appropriate terminology is provided alongside practical advice on how to appropriately care for transgender people. We offer a brief theoretical discussion on transgenderism and consider how it relates to broader understandings of both gender and disease. In respect to epidemiology, while it is difficult to assess the exact size of the transgender population in the UK, population surveys suggest a prevalence of between 0.2 and 0.6% in adults, with rates of referrals to gender identity clinics in the UK increasing yearly. We outline the legal framework that protects the rights of transgender people, showing that is not legal for physicians to deny transgender people access to services based on their personal beliefs. Being transgender is often, although not always, associated with gender dysphoria, a potentially disabling condition in which the discordance between a person’s natal sex (that assigned to them at birth) and gender identity results in distress, with high associated rates of self-harm, suicidality and functional impairment. We show that gender reassignment can be a safe and effective treatment for gender dysphoria with counselling, exogenous hormones and surgery being the mainstay of treatment. The role of the general practitioner in the management of transgender patients is discussed and we consider whether hormone therapy should be initiated in primary care in the absence of specialist advice, as is suggested by recent General Medical Council guidance.

scholarly journals Unique Causes And Manifestations of Eating Disorders Within Transgender Populations

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-157
Author(s):  
Sula Malina
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
Disordered Eating Behaviors ◽  
Treatment Models ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Treatment Safety

Transgender populations are disproportionately impacted by eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors; however, transgender clients lack access to affirming and culturally responsive mental health care and are frequently undiagnosed. In addition, conventional treatment models for eating disorders do not attend to the unique causes and manifestations of eating disorders among transgender people, which include: minority stress and gender trauma; gender dysphoria and lack of access to safe, gender-affirming treatment; safety concerns and the need for passing; cissexism and resulting disempowerment; and pervasive, harmful beauty standards coupled with hyper-scrutiny of trans bodies. This project includes a summary and analysis of the existing literature and data regarding the causes of and current treatment recommendations for eating disorders within transgender populations. It also suggests a social-work-led shift within eating disorder treatment to center the sociopolitical forces which so often lead to such diagnoses.

The influence of enzyme therapy with adaptogens when candidiasis on blood parameters, increase the livability and meat productivity of geese

2021 ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
R. T. Mannapova ◽  
R. R. Shaikhulov ◽  
A. G. Mannapov
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Therapeutic Effect ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
The Body ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Enzyme Therapy ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Effective Prevention

It has been established that in propolis, which is a biologically active product of beekeeping contains several dozen compounds, trace elements and vitamins. It contains most of the compounds of flavonoid and terpenoid nature, phytoncides, unsaturated aromatic acids, trace elements: copper, cobalt, potassium, sodium, manganese, zinc, calcium, barium, titanium, nickel, chromium, vanadium, tin, vitamins (A, B, C, E, PP), glucose, fructose, cinnamon alcohol. This composition provides a favorable complex effect of propolis on the body: bactericidal and virusocidal (kills bacteria and viruses), bacteriostatic (slows their growth), regenerative (restoring tissues, heals wounds) and fungicidal (kills fungi). The main therapeutic effect in this biologically active beekeeping product is provided by ferulic, caffeic and benzoic acids, galantine, chrysin, isalpine, pinocebrin. They are combined with trace elements and vitamins, as well as probiotics and prebiotics, which provide the greatest therapeutic effect. This circumstance is important for fungal diseases of poultry and especially for candidiasis. Geese candidiasis has been causing great economic damage to poultry farming all over the world in recent decades. The search for effective prevention measures and therapies remains an unsolved problem to date. The data on the development of reactions basophils, pseudoeosinophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes on the background of candidiasis and their enzyme adaptogens: probiotic and propolis for traditional microbiotheria is not effective and does not contribute to the restoration of cytological reactions and meat production of poultry have been presented in the article. At the same time as shown by our studies in farms affected by candidiasis geese timely application of enzyme therapy on a background of immune propolis and propitiatory not only contributes to the full restoration of all biological indicators, but more intense live weight gain of poultry and improve the livability of their livestock. This underlines the importance of taking measures to prevent candidiasis in goose farms, together with good conditions for feeding and housing poultry.

An adolescent requesting to pause puberty

2021 ◽  
pp. 203-212
Author(s):  
Cordelia Y. Ross ◽  
Alex S. Keuroghlian
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Hormone Therapy ◽  
Gender Dysphoria ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Developmental History ◽  
Psychiatric Assessment ◽  
Gender Expression ◽  
Gender Affirmation ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Gender

Gender dysphoria occurs when a patient has distress associated with incongruence between a person’s experienced gender and the gender traditionally associated with their sex assigned at birth. This must occur for at least six months. The psychiatric assessment of a patient with gender dysphoria should include exploration of the child’s developmental history of gender-expansive identification and expression; sources of distress relating to familial, community, and social stigma; and ways to help families adopt an accepting and nurturing response. Gender affirmation can include psychological, social, legal, and biological interventions. The goal of psychotherapy is to help a person explore, discover, and affirm their gender identity. Social affirmation may include changing names, pronouns, and gender expression. Legal gender affirmation may take place through a name or gender marker change on official documents. Biological affirmation may include pubertal suppression for younger adolescents, gender-affirming hormone therapy, and/or gender-affirming surgery.

The Fourth Month

2019 ◽  
pp. 49-64
Author(s):  
Vanessa LoBue
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Stereotyped Behavior ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Lengthy Discussion ◽  
Gender Concept

This chapter describes the development of the fetus in the fourth month of pregnancy. As the author learns the sex of her own baby, she explores a discussion of gender and sex throughout development. Specifically, she addresses the development of sex organs prenatally and how biological sex should be differentiated from the construct of gender using examples from the animal literature to illustrate how sometimes even biological sex can be determined by environmental circumstances. The chapter also includes a lengthy discussion of the development of gender concept and gender identity in children and how parents’ expectations might affect the development of gender-stereotyped behavior.

Gender diversity and non-binary presentations in young people attending the United Kingdom’s National Gender Identity Development Service

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jos Twist ◽  
Nastasja M de Graaf
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
The Body ◽  
Intrinsic Factors ◽  
Gender Expression ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Development Service ◽  
Binary Gender

There has been a recent rise in the number of people who hold a non-binary gender identity. However, the proportion of young people attending gender services who identify as non-binary has not yet been investigated. This article presents the findings from a pilot study of newly designed questionnaire, the Gender Diversity Questionnaire, which included questions about gender identity and gender expression. Responses from 251 adolescents attending the United Kingdom’s National Gender Identity Development Service between June 2016 and February 2017 are reported here. The majority, 56.9%, of young people identified as trans, 29.3% identified as a binary gender (male or female), 11% identified as non-binary and 1.2% as agender. There were no significant differences in self-defined identities based on assigned gender or age. However, once young people were separated into these groups, some of them were very small; thus, a larger sample is required. In terms of aspects of gender expression that were important to the young people, the data formed five themes – name and pronouns, external appearance, the body, intrinsic factors and ‘other’. Strengths and weaknesses of the research are discussed as well as future work that will be conducted.

scholarly journals Deficiencies in Scientific Evidence for Medical Management of Gender Dysphoria

2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. Hruz
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Gender Dysphoria ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Prospective Trial ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Sex Characteristics ◽  
Biological Sex

Individuals who experience a gender identity that is discordant with biological sex are increasingly presenting to physicians for assistance in alleviating associated psychological distress. In contrast to prior efforts to identify and primarily address underlying psychiatric contributors to gender dysphoria, interventions that include uncritical social affirmation, use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists to suppress normally timed puberty, and administration of cross-sex steroid hormones to induce desired secondary sex characteristics are now advocated by an emerging cohort of transgender medicine specialists. For patients with persistent gender dysphoria, surgery is offered to alter the appearance of breasts and genital organs. Efforts to address ethical concerns regarding this contentious treatment paradigm are dependent upon reliable evidence on immediate and long-term risks and benefits. Although strong recommendations have been made for invasive and potentially irreversible interventions, high-quality scientific data on the effects of this approach are generally lacking. Limitations of the existing transgender literature include general lack of randomized prospective trial design, small sample size, recruitment bias, short study duration, high subject dropout rates, and reliance on “expert” opinion. Existing data reveal significant intervention-associated morbidity and raise serious concern that the primary goal of suicide prevention is not achieved. In addition to substantial moral questions, adherence to established principles of evidence-based medicine necessitates a high degree of caution in accepting gender-affirming medical interventions as a preferred treatment approach. Continued consideration and rigorous investigation of alternate approaches to alleviating suffering in people with gender dysphoria are warranted. Summary: This paper provides an overview of what is currently known about people who experience a gender identity that differs from their biological sex and the associated desire to engage the medical profession in alleviating associated discomfort and distress. The scientific evidence used to support current recommendations for affirming one’s preferred gender, halting normally timed puberty, administering cross-sex hormones, and surgically altering primary and secondary sexual traits are summarized and critically evaluated. Serious deficits in understanding the cause of this condition, the reasons for the marked increase in people presenting for medical care, together with immediate and long-term risks relative to benefit of medical intervention are exposed.

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