Improving health outcomes for trans* individuals by proving a biological basis for gender dysphoria

In my mind, “good science” seeks to find a link between the biological or physiological and social, which is what neuroscience often strives to do. The application of such science to current social issues is increasingly meaningful as various disciplines of science gain reputation and legitimacy. One such issue that can be addressed by scientific study is that of trans* identities and any biological basis for such identities. In our current society, a trans* identity is very highly stigmatized and carries many negative repercussions. A study carried out by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and National Center for Transgender Equality in 2011 revealed high rates of poverty, mental illness, suicide, harassment and discrimination in school, the workplace, healthcare facilities, and in public. Coinciding with this is limited family acceptance and difficulty acquiring updated identity documents. Despite the high discrimination and violence faced by trans* individuals, they remain steadfast in their identities, which to some researchers suggests a biological difference and basis for their identity even in the face of such backlash. Recently, neuroscience has sought to draw a link between a biological basis of trans* identities and social issues in an attempt to further understand how sex manifests in the human brain and to alleviate the stigma faced by trans* individuals.

As such, Chia-Shu et al. (2014) set out to discover differences in brain activity and function between cis- and transsexuals in regards to body image and found significant results supporting a biological basis for gender dysphoria as experienced by trans* individuals. They found there to be significant differences in the body representation neural network between cis (CIS) and trans (TX) groups, both in location and in the connectional pattern of neurons, which suggests differences in functioning and how neurons in the brain activate, as can be seen below in Figure 1. These findings are in agreement with long-term dysphoric experiences held by those with gender dysphoria. 

Figure 1 “Connectional pattern of the node of interests (NOIs). The nodes with stronger connections (i.e., group connectivity .10%) within each of the NOIs are displayed for the TX and the CIS groups. The nodal size and edge color denote the strength of the group connectivity between a node and the NOI. Stronger group connectivity indicates that a larger number of participants shared the same edge in their binary networks.” (Chia-Shu et al. 2014)

Attribution of gender dysphoria to neurological functioning is an important step to legitimizing the disorder and to an individual’s desire to identify and present themselves as male or female through a variety of means. By proving a biological basis for this disorder, conditions for those suffering from stigma based on their identity can be greatly improved. Not only will it aid in eliminating stigma experienced in public, schools, and health care facilities, it will also improve health outcomes through changes in medical insurance provision and federal aid. Additionally, it will help to smooth the process of re-issuing of identification documents with the proper gender and in directing governmental policy and regulation regarding issues surrounding trans* individuals.

By exploring biological and physiological effects of what are often considered social phenomena, a link is created between the two that allows science the capability to significantly influence current social situations and impact future directions in terms of policy and decision-making, social acceptance and atmosphere, and quality of life.