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Apparent heterosexuality in two male patients requesting change-of-sex operation

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Abstract

Twenty-four male patients presenting with the request for change-of-sex surgery were studied. They were asked to estimate the strength of their sexual interest in men as compared with sexual interest in women. An independent and objective measure of sexual orientation was obtained by measuring penile volume responses to film sequences of male and female nudes. With two exceptions, the patients stated that their predominant or exclusive sexual interest was in males. The two patients who claimed to have no homosexual desires showed significantly more positive penile volume responses to female than to male nudes. The remaining 22 patients showed more positive penile volume responses to males. Brief case histories of the two apparently heterosexual patients are presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry, Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay, New South Wales, Australia

    R. F. Barr M.D. (Research Fellow)

  2. University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    B. Raphael M.A.N.Z.C.P. (Lecturer in Psychiatry)

  3. Psychiatric Unit, Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay, New South Wales, Australia

    Norma Hennessey A.Ed.(Qld), Dip. Soc. Wk. (Social Worker)

Authors
  1. R. F. Barr M.D.
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  2. B. Raphael M.A.N.Z.C.P.
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  3. Norma Hennessey A.Ed.(Qld), Dip. Soc. Wk.
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Additional information

The patients were studied as part of an assessment program before being considered for surgery by the Transsexual Evaluation Committee set up by Professor D. Maddison, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sydney, and Professor L. G. Kiloh, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales.

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Barr, R.F., Raphael, B. & Hennessey, N. Apparent heterosexuality in two male patients requesting change-of-sex operation. Arch Sex Behav 3, 325–330 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01636438

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