Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify the age when individuals first perceive gender incongruence (GI) and to compare sociodemographic data of female-to-male (FtM) and male-to-female (MtF) transgender individuals assisted at an outpatient service. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted through a review of the medical records of individuals diagnosed with GI at a single specialized outpatient service in the city of Ribeirão Preto, state of São Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS: A total of 193 medical records from 2010 to 2018 were evaluated, and 109 (56.5%) patients had GI since childhood. The FtM transgender individuals perceived GI in childhood more often than the MtF transgender individuals (odds ratio [OR]: 2.06, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.11-3.81) Unattended hormone use was highest among the MtF group (69.6% versus 32.3%; OR: 4.78, 95%CI: 2.53-9.03). All of the individuals who were engaged in prostitution or were diagnosed with a sexually-transmitted infection, including HIV, were in the MtF group. CONCLUSION: Despite the more prevalent perception of GI in childhood among the FtM group, social issues were more prevalent among the MtF group, which may be the result of social marginalization.