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Rise in Gender Dysphoria Diagnoses and Legal Gender Changes in Sweden: 2005–2017

Claesdotter-Knutsson, Emma LU ; Andersson, Mitchell LU orcid ; Cervin, Matti LU ; Delfin, Carl LU orcid ; Håkansson, Anders C LU orcid and Broman, Niroshani LU (2024) In Archives of Sexual Behavior 53(10). p.3731-3738
Abstract
Evidence suggests the incidence of gender dysphoria (GD), a condition characterized by psychological distress caused by a mismatch between an individual’s gender identity and biological sex assigned as birth, has increased since the turn of the twenty-first century. We examined trends in the number of GD diagnoses and legal gender changes in Sweden using registry data from 5007 individuals diagnosed with GD between 2005 and 2017 (53.5% assigned female at birth). GD diagnoses increased substantially over time, especially in birth-assigned females and younger age groups. One-third of all subjects with GD legally changed their gender, with an increase of 1000% from 2005 to 2018. Generally, individuals who were assigned female at birth changed... (More)
Evidence suggests the incidence of gender dysphoria (GD), a condition characterized by psychological distress caused by a mismatch between an individual’s gender identity and biological sex assigned as birth, has increased since the turn of the twenty-first century. We examined trends in the number of GD diagnoses and legal gender changes in Sweden using registry data from 5007 individuals diagnosed with GD between 2005 and 2017 (53.5% assigned female at birth). GD diagnoses increased substantially over time, especially in birth-assigned females and younger age groups. One-third of all subjects with GD legally changed their gender, with an increase of 1000% from 2005 to 2018. Generally, individuals who were assigned female at birth changed their gender earlier than birth-assigned males, and most did so within one year of GD diagnosis. Our findings highlight the need to analyze the causes and correlations of rapid changes in clinical presentation and to prepare healthcare systems for rising patient demand. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Archives of Sexual Behavior
volume
53
issue
10
pages
3731 - 3738
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:39266896
  • scopus:85203715964
ISSN
0004-0002
DOI
10.1007/s10508-024-02993-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1faeeac0-fd68-499a-b0be-478629b2de31
date added to LUP
2024-11-06 07:40:54
date last changed
2025-04-24 17:46:32
@article{1faeeac0-fd68-499a-b0be-478629b2de31,
  abstract     = {{Evidence suggests the incidence of gender dysphoria (GD), a condition characterized by psychological distress caused by a mismatch between an individual’s gender identity and biological sex assigned as birth, has increased since the turn of the twenty-first century. We examined trends in the number of GD diagnoses and legal gender changes in Sweden using registry data from 5007 individuals diagnosed with GD between 2005 and 2017 (53.5% assigned female at birth). GD diagnoses increased substantially over time, especially in birth-assigned females and younger age groups. One-third of all subjects with GD legally changed their gender, with an increase of 1000% from 2005 to 2018. Generally, individuals who were assigned female at birth changed their gender earlier than birth-assigned males, and most did so within one year of GD diagnosis. Our findings highlight the need to analyze the causes and correlations of rapid changes in clinical presentation and to prepare healthcare systems for rising patient demand.}},
  author       = {{Claesdotter-Knutsson, Emma and Andersson, Mitchell and Cervin, Matti and Delfin, Carl and Håkansson, Anders C and Broman, Niroshani}},
  issn         = {{0004-0002}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{3731--3738}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Archives of Sexual Behavior}},
  title        = {{Rise in Gender Dysphoria Diagnoses and Legal Gender Changes in Sweden: 2005–2017}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10508-024-02993-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10508-024-02993-4}},
  volume       = {{53}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}