Prevalence and demography of transsexualism in Belgium

Aude Michel (1) , G. de Cuypere , Null van Hemelrjck , B. Carael , G. Heylens , Robert Rubens , P. Hoebeke , S. Monstrey

1 EPSYLON - Dynamique des capacités humaines et des conduites de santé

Aim : The Belgian medical world has acknowledged the diagnosis of transsexualism and accepted Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) as oneof the steps in the treatment of choice since 1985. This prevalence and demographic study analyses data on all Belgian individuals who haveundergone SRS since that year.Methods : All (188) plastic surgeons as well as all gender teams (Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, and Lie`ge) in Belgium were sent demographicquestionnaires to be completed for each of their transsexual patients.Results : The results show an overall prevalence of 1:12,900 for male-to-female and 1:33,800 for female-to-male transsexuals in Belgium.In Wallonia (the French-speaking region of Belgium) the prevalence is significantly lower than in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking region) and inBrussels (the bilingual capital region). In the total Belgian population the male/female sex ratio is 2.43:1, again with a substantial differencebetween Wallonia on the one hand and Flanders on the other.Discussion and Conclusion. e While in Flanders and in Brussels the prevalence is comparable to that in other Western European countries,in Wallonia it is markedly lower. Transsexualism in Wallonia appears to be socially less acceptable: persons suffering from gender dysphoria inthat part of Belgium encounter more problems accessing gender clinics and receiving treatment.

Domaines: Psychologie

Aude Michel, G. de Cuypere, Null van Hemelrjck, B. Carael, G. Heylens, et al.. Prevalence and demography of transsexualism in Belgium. European Psychiatry, 2006, 22, pp.137-141. ⟨10.1016/j.eurpsy.2006.10.002⟩. ⟨hal-03061811⟩