ORGASM AND TRANSGENDERISM : A QUALITATIVE STUDY

1. Fondazione Carlo Molo onlus C.I.D.I.Ge.M. Centro Interdipartimentale Disturbi dell’Identità di Genere Molinette University of Turin ORGASM AND TRANSGENDERISM: A QUALITATIVE STUDY Piero CANTAFIO

2. This presentation show an «original»» point of view about pleasure and sexuality in transgender population It is based both on many years of experience and from the informations obtained trough psychoterapy sessions and clinical interviews not bound to an evaluation process

3. AIM To gather informations about sexual behaviour in transgender population; To investigate in particular coitum and orgasm After SRS Before SRS

4. GENDER DYSPHORIA

5. Male To Female: MtFJenna Talackova Female to Male: FtM Loren CameronBody Alchemy, 1996

6. THE GENDER IDENTITY • Transpeople feeling of having to adapte themselves in a stereotype, pre-established model of masculinity related to «penetrating, intrusive» or femininity related to «receptivity or passivity» • Transwomen try to adapts themselves in a traditional model of femininity while transmen show some different expressions of masculinity

7. COITUM AND ORGASM BEFORE SRS: MALE to FEMALE

8. Anal sex and fellatio are the most common pratices WHY? Analpenetrationis a pleasurebecause of prostaticstimulation (physiology); For the transwomen the anal penetration and the fellatio are one of the ways to experience a “passive-receptive” sexuality and it can facilitates the process of identification with the female gender, accordingto the traditionalstereotype.

9. Identificationis NOT related to the PRACTICE OF THE ANAL SEX butitisrelated to the idea of PENETRATION thatisendured, desired and «suffered».

10. COITUM AND ORGASM POST SRS: MALE to FEMALE

11. Both vaginal and anal intercourse In transwoman population we can identify four different kind of sexual behaviours • Give up • «Strategic» satisfaction • «Functional satisfaction • «Orgasmic» satisfaction

12. “ GIVE UP” Vaginal penetration without pleasure or difficult or impossible providing to subject a sense of frustration or failure. Sometimes transwomen give up their sex life because they believe that anal sex is a typical "homosexual practice” and so they refused it. They prefer expressing their femininity in other contexts

13. «Strategic satisfaction» Vaginal penetration without pleasure or difficult or impossible providing to subject to fall back on forms of sexuality used before surgery (anal sex) . Psychic pleasure motivated by the presence of "new organs"

14. «Functional» satisfaction • Vaginal penetration occurs without difficulty, but it not take subjective feelings of pleasure; • These transwomen’s sexuality is very similar as anorgasmic women ; often they continue to practice anal sex ; • But in this case transwomen have great satisfaction from having a female genital organ and for being able to be penetrated also in this way;

15. «Orgasmic» satisfaction The most used surgical technique mantains a portion of glans and so it can provide a real sense of pleasure; probably these are not exactly orgasmic sensations but they are similar to those experienced before both the hormone therapy and surgery.

16. COITO e ORGASMO PRE RCS: FtM

17. In transmanpopulationwe can identifythreedifferentkind of sexualbehaviours • Behavior «penetrative-intrusive" or "pseudo-male • Behavior «penetrative/intrusive-receptive" or "pseudo-homosexual" • Behaviorwithouteroticism

18. Behavior «penetrative" or "pseudo-male" These transman shall implement behaviors aimed at ensuring the partner a satisfying orgasm: • manual/oral stimulation of the clitoris, vagina and other erogenous zones • Penetration with sex toys • They refuse to be touched in the genitals or breasts • They give up to achive orgasm or they get orgasm while petting by rubbing the clitoris

19. Behavior «penetrative-receptive" or "pseudo-homosexual" These transman living a kind of "symmetric" sexuality characterized by different stimulations in order to achive both the (female) orgasm. The subject, despite living a discrepancy between their gender identity and biological sex of belonging to one's body does not refuse their body but instead they consider it an “instrument” of giving pleasure.

20. Behaviorwithouteroticism These subjects chose to avoid any form of sexual intimacy. They think that their body can not be used for the sexual activityOften they do not have affective relationships or if they have a partner do not have sex.Sometimes they masturbate but the discomfort to their genitals also inhibits the auto-eroticism.About half of these subjects imagine to live a satisfying sexuality after surgery, while the other half give up any form of eroticism into the affective relationship.

21. COITO e ORGASMO POST RCS: FtM

22. FEMALE to MALE SURGERY • Differentsurgicaltechniques; • The results are not always satisfactory and the rate of postoperative complications is very high; Even the aesthetic results are not very satisfactory; • Increasing the number of subjects thet decide not to perform phalloplasty or - in some cases (rare, because expensive) - to go abroad for the surgery; and…….?

23. Generally most transmen post SRS tend to engageeither in a «penetrative-intrusive/pseudo-male» behavioror «penetrative-intrusive-receptive/pseudo-homosexual» These transman shall implement behaviors aimed at ensuring the partner a satisfying orgasm: • manual/oral stimulation of the clitoris, vagina and other erogenous zones • Penetration with sex toys • They less refuse to be touched in the genitals and they permit to be touched in the breast area.

24. CONCLUSION After SRS a specific psychosexual intervention is necessary

25. pierocantafio@libero.it