Abstract
Nonhomosexual male gender dysphorics often make their first requests for clinical assessment when they are in or approaching middle age. This study investigated how well patients' explanations for the timing of these requests fit the objective data. Subjects were 194 outpatients presenting for the first time at a gender identity clinic. Their common explanations for the timing of their requests were incorporated into a formal path model, which was tested using Bentler's structural equations program. The model provided an acceptable fit to the data. The more times a patient has been married and the more children he has fathered, the older he is likely to be when first presenting for clinical attention. This outcome is consistent with the claims of patients that they would have come to a gender clinic sooner if they had not been restrained by commitments to wives and children.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bentler, P. M. (1989).EQS Structural Equations Program Manual BMDP Statistical Software, Los Angeles.
Bentler, P. M., and Dijkstra, T. (1985). Efficient estimation via linearization in structural models. In Krishnaiah, P. R. (ed.),Mulitvariate Analysis VI North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp. 9–42.
Blanchard, R. (1985). Typology of male-to-female transsexualism.Arch. Sex. Behav. 14: 247–261.
Blanchard, R. (1988). Nonhomosexual gender dysphoria.J. Sex Res. 24: 188–193.
Blanchard, R. (1989a). The classification and labeling of nonhomosexual gender dysphorias.Arch. Sex. Behav. 18: 315–334.
Blanchard, R. (1989b). The concept of autogynephilia and the typology of male gender dysphoria.J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 177: 616–623.
Blanchard, R., Clemmensen, L. H., and Steiner, B. W. (1985). Social desirability response set and systematic distortion in the self-report of adult male gender patients.Arch. Sex. Behav. 14: 505–516.
Blanchard, R., Racansky, I. G., and Steiner, B. W. (1986). Phallometric detection of fetishistic arousal in heterosexual male cross-dressers.J. Sex Res. 22: 452–462.
Chou, C. -P., Bentler, P. M., and Satorra, A. (1991). Scaled test statistics and robust standard errors for non-normal data in covariance structure analysis: A Monte Carlo study.Br. J. Math. Statist. Psychol. 44: 347–357.
Davis, J. A. (1985). The logic of causal order.Sage University Paper Series on Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, 07-055, Sage, Beverly Hills.
Freund, K., Langevin, R., Satterberg, J., and Steiner, B. (1977). Extension of the Gender Identity Scale for males.Arch. Sex. Behav. 6: 507–519.
Hu, L., Bentler, P. M., and Kano, Y. (1992). Can test statistics in covariance structure analysis be trusted?Psychol. Bull. 112: 351–362.
Person, E., and Ovesey, L. (1974). The transsexual syndrome in males: II. Secondary transsexualism.Am. J. Psychother. 28: 174–193.
Wise, T. N., and Meyer, J. K. (1980). The border area between transvestism and gender dysphoria: Transvestitic applicants for sex reassignment.Arch. Sex. Behav. 9: 327–342.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Blanchard, R. A structural equation model for age at clinical presentation in nonhomosexual male gender dysphorics. Arch Sex Behav 23, 311–320 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541566
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541566