Sex in transition: From the medicalisation of transgender sexuality to the centrality of pleasure

This chapter discusses that historically, the sexuality of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people has been approached with cisgenderist and heteronormative assumptions, mostly through the lens of a medicalised paradigm. This approach led to a wide range of studies investigating long-term sexual outcomes in people who have undergone gender-affirming medical procedures; the clinical utility of such literature is however quite limited in our everyday practice, as it systematically excludes TGNC people who do not pursue hormonal or surgical treatments and, in particular, people who identify outside of the binary. Also, it is often based on the assumption that such treatments are a prerequisite for any sexual life, and therefore that no sexuality exists before or without them. Anzani and Prunas offer a review of recent studies exploring several aspects of the sexual life of TGNC, and recommend clinical guidelines.