Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the self-reported perceived quality of life (QoL) in transsexuals attending a Spanish gender identity unit before genital sex reassignment surgery, and to identify possible determinants that likely contribute to their QoL.
Methods
A sample of 119 male-to-female (MF) and 74 female-to-male (FM) transsexuals were included in the study. The WHOQOL-BREF scale was used to evaluate self-reported QoL. Possible determinants included age, sex, education, employment, partnership status, undergoing cross-sex hormonal therapy, receiving at least one non-genital sex reassignment surgery, and family support (assessed with the family APGAR questionnaire).
Results
Mean scores of all QoL domains ranged from 55.44 to 63.51. Linear regression analyses revealed that undergoing cross-sex hormonal treatment, having family support, and having an occupation were associated with a better QoL for all transsexuals. FM transsexuals have higher social domain QoL scores than MF transsexuals. The model accounts for 20.6 % of the variance in the physical, 32.5 % in the psychological, 21.9 % in the social, and 20.1 % in the environment domains, and 22.9 % in the global QoL factor.
Conclusions
Cross-sex hormonal treatment, family support, and working or studying are linked to a better self-reported QoL in transsexuals. Healthcare providers should consider these factors when planning interventions to promote the health-related QoL of transsexuals.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- MFs:
-
Male-to-female transsexuals
- FMs:
-
Female-to-male transsexuals
- QoL:
-
Quality of life
- WHOQOL:
-
World Health Organization quality of life scale
- APGARq:
-
Family APGAR Questionnaire
- SR:
-
Sex reassignment
References
Gómez-Gil, E., & Esteva de Antonio, I. (2006). Ser Transexual. Barcelona: Editorial Glosa. ISBN 84-7429-267-0.
WHOQOL group. (2004). The World Health Organization`s WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment: Psychometric properties and results of the international field trial. A Report from the WHOQOL Group. Quality of Life Research, 13, 299–310.
Newfield, E., Hart, S., Dibble, S., & Kohler, L. (2006). Female-to-male transgender quality of life. Quality of Life Research, 15, 1447–1457.
Ainsworth, T. A., & Spiegel, J. H. (2010). Quality of life of individuals with and without facial feminization surgery or gender reassignment surgery. Quality of Life Research, 19, 1019–1024.
Weyers, S., Elaut, E., De Sutter, P., Gerris, J., T´Sjoen, G., Heylens, G., et al. (2009). Long-term assessment of the physical, mental, and sexual health among transsexual women. The Journal of Sex Medicine, 6, 752–760.
Wierckx, K., Van Caenegem, E., Elaut, E., Dedecker, D., Van de Peer, F., Toye, K., et al. (2011). Quality of life and sexual health after sex reassignment surgery in transsexual men. The Journal of Sex Medicine, 8, 3379–3388.
Motmans, J., Meier, P., Ponnet, K., & T´Sjoen, G. (2012). Female and male transgender quality of life: socioeconomic and medical differences. The Journal of Sex Medicine, 9, 743–750.
Kuhn, A., Bodmer, C., Stadlmayr, W., Kuhn, P., Mueller, M. D., & Birkhauser, M. (2009). Quality of life 15 years after sex reassignment surgery for transsexualism. Fertility and Sterility, 92(5), 1685–1689.
Parola, N., Bonierbale, M., Lemaire, A., Aghababian, V., Michel, A., & Laçon, C. (2010). Study of quality of life for transsexuals after hormonal and surgical reassignment [Etude de la qualité de vie chez des transsexuels après réassignation sexuelle]. Sexologies, 19, 58–63.
Gorin-Lazard, A., Baumstarck, K., Boyer, L., Maquigneau, A., Gebleux, S., Penochet, J. C., et al. (2012). Is hormonal therapy associated with better quality of life in transsexuals? A cross-sectional study. The Journal of Sex Medicine, 9, 531–541.
Hurtado Murillo, F., Gómez Balaguer, M., & Donat Colomer, F. (2006). Transexualismo: Reasignación de sexo y calidad de vida [Transsexualism: sex reassignment and quality of life. Sexología Integral, 3(1), 25–34.
de Vries, A. L., Steensma, T. D., Wagemaar, E. C. F., Doreleijers, T. A. H., & Cohen-Kettenis, P. T. (2011). Puberty suppression followed by cross-sex hormones and gender reassignment surgery: A Prospective follow-up of gender dysphoric adolescents into adulthood. In A. De Vries (Ed.), Gender dysphoria in adolescents (pp. 91–106). Amsterdam: VU University Medical Center.
Murad, M. H., Elamin, M. B., Garcia, M. Z., Mullan, R. J., Murad, A., Erwin, P. J., et al. (2010). Hormonal therapy and sex reassignment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of quality of life and psychosocial outcomes. Clinical Endocrinology, 72, 214–231.
Smith, Y. L., Van Goozen, S. H., Kuiper, A. J., & Cohen-Kettenis, P. T. (2005). Sex reassignment: Outcomes and predictors of treatment for adolescent and adult transsexuals. Psychological Medicine, 35, 89–99.
Kreuker, B. P., & Cohen-Kettenis, P. T. (2011). Puberty suppression in gender identity disorder: The Amsterdam experience. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 7, 466–472.
Skevington, S. M., Lotfy, M., & O´Connell, K. A. (2004). The World Health Organization´s WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment: psychometric properties and results or the international field trial. A report from the WHOQOL group. Quality of Life Research, 13(2), 299–310.
Gómez-Gil, E., Esteva de Antonio, I., Almaraz, M. C., Godás Sieso, T., Halperin Rabinovich, I., et al. (2011). La demanda de asistencia sanitaria en las unidades de identidad de género de Andalucía y Cataluña durante el período 2000 a 2009. [The demand for health care services in the gender identity units of Andalusia and Catalonia during the period of 2000 to 2009]. Revista Clínica Española, 211, 233–239.
Esteva de Antonio, I., Gómez-Gil, E., Almaraz, M. C., Martínez-Tudela, J., Bergero, T., Olveira, G., et al. (2012). Organization of healthcare for transsexual persons in the Spanish national health system. [Organización de asistencia a la transexualidad en el sistema sanitario público español]. Gaceta Sanitaria, 26, 203–209.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed. Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
World Health Organization. (2002). Defining Sexual Health. Geneva, Switzerland: Report of a technical consultation of sexual health.
Moreno-Pérez, O., & Esteva de Antonio, I. (2012). Guías de práctica clínica para la valoración y tratamiento de la transexualidad [clinical practice guidelines for assessment and treatment of transsexualism. SEEN identity and sexual differentiation group (GIDSEEN)]. Endocrinología y Nutrición, 59(6), 367–382.
Meyer, W., Bockting, W., Cohen-Kettenis, P., Coleman, E., DiCeglie, D., Devor, H., et al. (2001). The Harry Benjamin gender dysphoria association’s standards of care for gender identity disorders, sixth version. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 13(1), 1–30.
Gómez-Gil, E., Zubiaurre-Elorza, L., Esteva, I., Guillamón, A., Godás, T., Almaraz, M. C., et al. (2011). Hormone-treated transsexuals report less social distress, anxiety and depression. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 37(5), 662–670.
Gómez-Gil, E., Gutiérrez, F., Cañizares, F., Zubiaurre-Elorza, L., Monràs, M., Esteva de Antonio, I., et al. Temperament and character in transsexuals. Psychiatry Research (In press).
Lucas-Carrasco, R. (1998). Versión Española del WHOQOL. Madrid: Editorial Ergón.
Smilkstein, G. (1978). The family APGAR: A proposal for family function test and its use by physicians. Journal of Family Practice, 6, 1231–1239.
Bellón Saameño, J. A., Delgado Sánchez, A., Luna del Castillo, J. D., & Lardelli Claret, P. (1996). Validity and reliability of the family Apgar family function test. [Validez y fiabilidad del cuestionario de función familiar Apgar-familiar]. Atención Primaria, 18(6), 289–296.
Michel, A., Mormont, C., & Legros, J. J. (2001). A psycho-endocrinological overview of transsexualism. European Journal of Endocrinology, 45, 365–376.
Gómez-Gil, E., Trilla, A., Salamero, M., Godás, T., & Valdés, M. (2009). Socio-demographic, clinical, and psychiatric characteristics of transsexuals from Spain. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38, 378–392.
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A. G. (2009). Statistical power analysis using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41, 1149–1160.
Coleman, E., Bockting , W., Botzer, M., et al. (2012). Standards of care for the health of transsexual, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people, version 7. International Journal of Transgenderism, 13, 165–232.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Igualdad (MI), Instituto de la Mujer, grant IMG2009-PI040964, Ministerio de Economía e Innovación, grant PSI2011-24496, and Junta de Andalucía (JA) grant PI-0254/2007. Leire Zubiaurre-Elorza holds a fellowship from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, AP2008-00935.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gómez-Gil, E., Zubiaurre-Elorza, L., Esteva de Antonio, I. et al. Determinants of quality of life in Spanish transsexuals attending a gender unit before genital sex reassignment surgery. Qual Life Res 23, 669–676 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-013-0497-3
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-013-0497-3