Evaluation of Social Health of Gender Reassignment Applicants with Gender Identity Disorder before Gender Reassignment Surgery in Comparison with Transgender and Normal Individuals

Social health is one of the most basic health indicators of any society, which is affected by the issues that people face, including those applying for gender change. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the social health of people applying for gender reassignment in comparison with transsexuals and normal people.

This comparative causal study was a cross-section research employing the Keyes standardized questionnaire. The research population was conducted in three groups of gender change applicants who referred to the forensic medicine of Mashhad, who were confirmed to have gender identity disorder during 2017, and according to that two groups of gender change and normal people were included in the study. The research data were compared using ANOVA test and Spearman and ETA tests were utilized for the correlation of non-parametric variables.

In the general dimension of social health, no significant difference was observed between the three studied groups (P>0.05), in the two dimensions of social affinity and cohesion, there was a significant difference between the three groups of gender reassignment applicants before the operation, the gender reassigned group, and normal individuals so that in the aspect  of cohesion, the mean of transgendered people is significantly higher than normal people (P=0.03) and also in the facet  of correlation, the mean of people with gender dysphoria before surgery is significantly less than that of normal people. (P=0.03). Meanwhile, a moderate relationship was found between the level of education and that of social health of people (r=0.55).

Before the operation, people suffering from sexual boredom are less interested in their social life and the world around them compared to that of normal people, which is caused by their despair and hopelessness in accepting their desired social identity. It is therefore necessary to identify and treat these people before entering the field of social life.