In order to understand gender dysphoria, it is of utmost importance to know what it is (according to the criteria of the DSM-5), its causes, the history of treatment, and personal testimonies of individuals with the disorder as that will clarify some of the common characteristics or traits of people with said …show more content…
The influence of pre-natal hormones is one such example as GD can quite possibly be caused by the unusual development of parts of the brain before birth as it is now known that sex chromosomes have a direct effect on sex differentiation and that they may play a role in gender identity development (Klink, & Heijer, 2015). It is possible that hormones can cause parts of the brain to develop in a way that is inconsistent with the genitalia and usually, with the chromosomes, which means that the person’s brain does not correspond with the gender assigned to them at birth. A study by Swaab (2007) discusses what is known about the sexual differentiation of the brain areas and what areas are responsible for gender identity, sex, and sexual orientation, including the effects of hormones. Since testicles and ovaries develop in the sixth week of pregnancy due to genetic sex of the fetus, it is thought that hormonal influences at this time have a direct effect on the brain’s gender identity while biological sex is developing (Swaab, 2007). Beyond this, Kruijver et al. (2000) explain that males have approximately twice as many somatostatin neurons than women do. They found that in those experiencing gender dysphoria, the number of these neurons corresponded to their gender of choice, rather than their biological sex, which certainly provides evidence to support the idea that gender dysphoria has a