title: Sex ratio of transsexuals in Germany: the development over three decades.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The higher incidence of man-to-woman transsexuals compared to woman-to-man transsexuals varies markedly from country to country. This is the first survey of the sex ratio to be made in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  It covers 1785 patients who between 1964 and 1998 were diagnosed as transsexual at the four largest German centres offering treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 1970 to 1994 the sex ratio remained constant at 2:1 in favour of man-to-woman transsexuals. Over the past 4 years, however, it has altered considerably and reached 1.2:1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Up to 1994 our results do not support the assumption that transsexualism is gradually becoming equally prevalent in both sexes. The drop in the sex ratio after 1994 can be explained either as a reduction of an overhang of male-to-female transsexuals or as an artificial phenomenon caused by recent developments in therapy and by the views of transsexuals' groups on the treatment they are offered.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sexual Science, University of Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garrels
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kockott
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Preuss
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Renter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sigusch
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Windgassen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012744:Sex Ratio; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000453:epidemiology*