Gender Identification and Transition Path in Italian Trans Population: The Decline of the Genitals Centrality

Introduction & objectives: In Italy, studies assessing the multifaceted trans subjective experiences are still very limited. The current study was aimed at establishing the internal diversity of Italian trans individuals and investigating the role played by medical procedures within the process of gender stabilizing processes. Two main indicators (sex assigned at birth and gender self-identification) were used to analyzing medical and legal pathways of this population. Population sample: The sample was constituted by 167 trans participants (71 female-to-male [FtM] and 96 male-to-female [MtF]) who ranged from 18-66 years of age. Method: A quantitative approach was used. The method of recruitment maintained a balance between community organizations and medical networks. Results: The majority of FtM and MtF participants self-identified as “Trans man” (40.8%) and “Transwoman” (31.3%), respectively, showing the prevalence of a non-binary gender identification. Only 12.6% of participants had undergone Gender Affirming Surgery (GAS) (7.0% of FtM Vs 16.7% of MtF), while a higher percentage (24.6%) had requested for a change in civil status (19.7%of FtMVs 28.1%of MtF). Furthermore, our results indicated that, in both MtF and FtM participants, an individual’s gender identification influenced the process of care. Indeed, it emerged that more the identity was binary (“Man” and “Women”) more steps of transition were actualized. On the contrary, in trans individuals who self-identified as non-binary (“Trans women”, “Trans men”, “Trans”, or “Other”) the steps of transition significantly decreased. Conclusion & recommendations: Our findings demonstrate a strong heterogeneous identification of the Italian trans people, whose definition cannot be restricted to binary categorization, hormonal treatment, or GAS. It means that, even in Italy, the centrality of the genitals and the importance of surgery are undergoing a decline. Findings have important implications for both social policies and clinical practice.