title: Socio-demographic Characteristics of Transsexuals Referred to the Forensic Medicine Center in Southwest of Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transsexualism or gender identity disorder affects person's gender identity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was to describe socio-demographic characteristics in a population of transsexuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 44 persons of both sexes with diagnostic criteria of gender identity disorder who were referred to the Legal Medicine Organization of Fars, southwest of Iran during the time period 2005-2010. The general practitioners examined the following socio-demographic characteristics and then recorded them in a semi-structured questionnaire, which was developed by the Forensic Medicine Center in Shiraz: Sex, age, educational level, place of residence, marital status, duration of treatment, and employment status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 44 persons (18 (40.9%) males versus 26 (59.1%) females) were referred for sex change during the study period. The sex ratio was 0.69:1. The mean age was 27.6 ± 2.9 years. The majority of patients were diploma and higher diploma education (77.3%), lived in urban areas (81.8%), were employed (56.9%), were single (93.1%), and were under six months of hormonal treatment (61.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems that social acceptance is lower for male to female transsexuals, since these patients have lower employment and literacy statuses. Further studies should be designed to evaluate and deeper analyze more socio-demographic, clinical, and psychiatric variables about transsexual patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Sciences, Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hedjazi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarenezhad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoseinzadeh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hassanzadeh
authors.forename: Seyed Mohammad Vahid
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hosseini
keywords: Fars; Forensic medicine; Gender identity disorder; Iran; Population characteristics; Socio-demographic characteristics; Transsexualism