PERSONALITY-CHARACTERISTICS AND SEXUAL FUNCTIONING OF 188 CROSS-DRESSING MEN

The literature on cross-dressing men has been primarily limited to sel f-identified patients at psychiatric clinics who are in distress. To u nderstand the personality trait characteristics and sexual functioning of nonpatient cross-dressers, 188 non-treatment-seeking male cross-dr essers completed the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PT) and the Deroga tis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI). Respondents were classified a s transvestites (TV; N = 83), transgenderists (TG; N = 61), or transse xuals (TS;N = 44) based on self-report and the nature of their cross-g ender activities (e.g., use of female hormones, desire for sex reassig nment, and amount of time spent in female role). These diagnostic grou ps did not differ on the five broad personality domains of the NEO-PI, but TS men scored higher than TV and TG men on the Aesthetics facet s cale of Openness to Experience (O). In terms of the DSFI scales, TS me n reported lower sexual drive than TV and TG men, and TS and TG men ex hibited greater psychiatric symptoms and feminine gender role, and poo rer body image than TV men. Upon exclusion of a group of 49 respondent s who previously sought treatment for psychological problems, no signi ficant differences emerged among the three diagnostic groups on the NE O-PI domain and facet scales. Consideration of the DSFI scales showed that TS men experienced less sexual drive, more psychiatric symptoms, and a greater feminine gender role than TV or TG men. This study sugge sts that cross-dressers not seen for clinical reasons are virtually in distinguishable from non-cross-dressing men using a measure of persona lity traits, a sexual functioning inventory, and measures of psycholog ical distress. These results emphasize the importance of using clinica l significance criteria as required by DSM-TV guidelines before diagno sing men who cross-dress with an axis I disorder.