Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

 Transsexuals 
are people who believe they were born with the body of the other 
gender. In fundamental ways, transsexualism represents less of a sexual diffi culty 
than a gender issue involving one’s sexual identity (Meyerowitz, 2004; Heath, 2006).
Transsexuals (like Chaz Bono, whose story was discussed at the beginning of the 
chapter) sometimes seek sex-change operations in which their existing genitals are 
surgically removed and the genitals of the desired sex are fashioned. Several steps, 
including intensive counseling, hormone injections, and living as a member of the 
desired sex for several years, precede surgery, which is, not surprisingly, highly 
transsexuals
People who believe they 
were born with the body of the other 
gender.
Study Alert
The determinants of sexual 
orientation have proven 
diffi
cult to pinpoint. It is 
important to know the 
variety of explanations that 
have been put forward.
Extensive research has found that 
bisexuals and homosexuals enjoy the 
same overall degree of mental and 
physical health as heterosexuals.
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370 Chapter 
11 
Sexuality and Gender
complicated. The outcome, though, can be quite positive 
(O’Keefe & Fox, 2003; Stegerwald & Janson, 2003; Lobato, 
Koff, & Manenti, 2006). 
Transsexualism is part of a broader category known 
as transgenderism. The term transgenderism encompasses 
not only transsexuals, but also people who view them-
selves as a third gender, transvestites (who dress in the 
clothes of the other gender), or others who believe that 
traditional male-female gender classifi cations inadequately 
characterize them (Prince, 2005; Hyde, Mezulis, & 
Abramson, 2008). 
Transsexuals are distinct from individuals who are 
known as intersex or by the older term hermaphrodite. An 
intersex person is born with an atypical combination of 
sexual organs or chromosomal or gene patterns. In some 
cases, they are born with both male and female sexual 
organs, or the organs are ambiguous. It is an extremely 
rare condition found in one in 4,500 births. Intersexism 
involves a complex mix of physiological and psychological issues (Lehrman, 2007; 
Diamond, 2009).
Sexual Diffi
culties
When sex—an activity that should be pleasurable, joyful, and intimate—is forced on 
someone, it becomes one of the ultimate acts of aggression and brutality, and few crimes 
produce such profound and long-lasting consequences. But sexual crimes are not the 
only category of serious problems related to sex. Few personal diffi culties produce as 
much anxiety, embarrassment, and even shame as sexually transmitted infections and 
sexual dysfunctions. We now turn to the major types of problems related to sex.