People with gender dysphoria feel very strange, there is a discrepancy between the sex attributed to them (usually at birth) and the sex with which they identify or express themselves, this discrepancy is the fundamental characteristic of gender dysphoria, in fact some people are embarrassed by this discrepancy. Lived sex can include alternative gender identities in addition to binary stereotypes.
Therefore, discomfort is not limited to the simple desire to be of the other sex, this may include the desire to be of another sex, provided that it is different from the sex assigned to the person. Sex can occur at any age after the first 2-3 years of childhood and often interferes with daily activities.
- In older children.
- The inability to acquire age-typical skills and relationships with same-sex partners can lead to social isolation and distress.
Gender dysphoria manifests differently depending on age groups; prepubescent girls with gender dysphoria can express a desire to be a child, they can say they are boys or say that when they grow up they will be men.
They prefer children’s clothes and hairstyles. Because of their style, strangers also perceive them as children and may ask to be called by a child’s name. They often show intense negative reactions to their parents’ attempts to force them to wear dresses. or other clothing associated with the feminine. Some may refuse to attend school or social events where such clothing is needed.
These girls can show a marked identification with the other sex in role-playing games, dreams and fantasies. They generally prefer contact sports, combat games, so they prefer kids as playmates.
They show little interest in toys (e. g. dolls) or activities (women’s costumes or character games) based on female stereotypes. Sometimes they refuse to urinate while sitting. Some girls may express a desire to have a penis, or pretend to have it, or that when they are older they will have it, they can also say that they do not want to develop breasts or have the rule.
Prepubescent boys with gender dysphoria can express a desire to be girls, pretend to be girls, or pretend that when they grow up they will be women. They prefer to wear girl’s or women’s clothing and can improvise dresses with the materials they find.
These children play the role of female figures (for example, they play “mothers”). They are often interested in female fantasies. They usually prefer activities, games, and hobbies that are traditional female stereotypes (e. g. playing at home).
They also prefer to make female drawings and watch TV shows or videos of the characters girls prefer. Dolls that conform to the feminine stereotype are often her favorite toys and girls are her favorite playmates.
These children generally avoid more competitive games, some may claim that they have no penis and insist on sitting and urinating, less often, they may claim that they find the penis or testicles unpleasant, want to remove them, or want to have them. a vagina.
In adults with gender dysphoria, the gender gap with their physical sexual characteristics is often accompanied by a desire to get rid of their primary or secondary sexual characteristics of the other sex.
To varying degrees, adults with gender dysphoria can adopt the behavior, clothing, and sex manners they experience, feel uncomfortable when considered by others, or when society identifies them with gender that marks their physical characteristics.
Some adults may have a strong desire to be of a different sex and be treated as such. They can be safe enough from the inside to feel and react according to the sex they are experiencing without seeking medical treatment to change their body characteristics.
These adults may find other ways to resolve the inconsistency between lived/expressed sex and what they are attributed to, partially living in the desired role or adopting a sexual role that is traditionally not male or female.