Fondazione
Carlo Molo
onlus
C.I.D.I.Ge.M.
Centro Interdipartimentale
Disturbi dell’Identità di Genere Molinette
University of Turin
ORGASM AND TRANSGENDERISM:
A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Piero CANTAFIO
This
presentation
show
an
«original»» point of view
about pleasure and sexuality
in transgender population
It is based both on many years
of experience and from the
informations obtained trough
psychoterapy sessions and
clinical interviews not bound
to an evaluation process
AIM
To gather informations about sexual
behaviour in transgender population;

 To investigate in particular coitum and
orgasm
Before SRS
After SRS
GENDER DYSPHORIA
Female to Male: FtM
Loren Cameron
Body Alchemy, 1996
Male To Female: MtF
Jenna Talackova
THE GENDER IDENTITY
 Transpeople feeling of having to adapte
themselves in a stereotype, pre-established
model of masculinity related to «penetrating,
intrusive» or femininity related to
«receptivity or passivity»
 Transwomen try to adapts themselves in a
traditional model of femininity while
transmen show some different expressions
of masculinity
COITUM AND ORGASM
BEFORE SRS:
MALE to FEMALE
Anal sex and fellatio are the most common pratices
WHY?
1) Anal penetration is a pleasure
because of prostatic stimulation
(physiology);
2) For the transwomen the anal
penetration and the fellatio are
one of the ways to experience a
“passive-receptive” sexuality and
it can facilitates the process of
identification with the female
gender, according to the
traditional stereotype.
Identification
is
NOT
related to
the PRACTICE OF THE
ANAL
SEX
but
it
is
related to
the
idea
PENETRATION
endured,
«suffered».
of
that
desired
is
and
COITUM AND ORGASM
POST SRS: MALE to FEMALE
Both vaginal and anal intercourse
In transwoman population we can
identify four different kind of
sexual behaviours
1. Give up
2. «Strategic» satisfaction
3. «Functional satisfaction
4. «Orgasmic» satisfaction
“ GIVE UP”
Vaginal penetration without pleasure or
difficult or impossible providing to
subject a sense of frustration or
failure.
Sometimes transwomen give up their sex
life because they believe that anal
sex is a typical "homosexual practice”
and so they refused it.
They prefer expressing their femininity
in other contexts
«Strategic satisfaction»
Vaginal penetration without pleasure or difficult or
impossible providing to subject to fall back on forms of
sexuality used before surgery (anal sex) .
Psychic pleasure motivated by the presence of "new organs"
«Functional» satisfaction
• Vaginal penetration occurs without
difficulty, but it not take subjective
feelings of pleasure;
• These transwomen’s sexuality is very similar
as anorgasmic women ; often they continue
to practice anal sex ;
• But in this case transwomen have great
satisfaction from having a female genital
organ and for being able to be penetrated
also in this way;
«Orgasmic» satisfaction
The most used surgical technique mantains a
portion of glans and so it can provide a real
sense of pleasure;
probably these are not exactly orgasmic
sensations but they are similar to those
experienced before both the hormone
therapy and surgery.
COITO e ORGASMO
PRE RCS: FtM
In transman population we can identify
three different kind of sexual
behaviours
 Behavior «penetrative-intrusive" or
"pseudo-male
 Behavior «penetrative/intrusive-
receptive" or "pseudo-homosexual"
 Behavior without eroticism
Behavior «penetrative" or "pseudo-male"
These transman shall implement behaviors aimed at
ensuring the partner a satisfying orgasm:
 manual/oral stimulation of the clitoris, vagina and
other erogenous zones
 Penetration with sex toys
 They refuse to be touched in the genitals or
breasts
 They give up to achive orgasm or they get orgasm
while petting by rubbing the clitoris
Behavior «penetrative-receptive" or "pseudohomosexual"
These transman living a kind of "symmetric" sexuality
characterized by different stimulations in order to
achive
both
the
(female)
orgasm.
The subject, despite living a discrepancy between
their gender identity and biological sex of belonging
to one's body does not refuse their body but instead
they consider it an “instrument” of giving pleasure.
Behavior without eroticism
These subjects chose to avoid any form of sexual
intimacy. They think that their body can not be used for
the
sexual
activity
Often they do not have affective relationships or if they
have
a
partner
do
not
have
sex.
Sometimes they masturbate but the discomfort to their
genitals
also
inhibits
the
auto-eroticism.
About half of these subjects imagine to live a satisfying
sexuality after surgery, while the other half give up any
form of eroticism into the affective relationship.
COITO e ORGASMO
POST RCS: FtM
FEMALE to MALE SURGERY
 Different surgical techniques;
 The results are not always satisfactory and the rate of
postoperative complications is very high;
Even the aesthetic results are not very satisfactory;
 Increasing the number of subjects thet decide not to
perform phalloplasty or - in some cases (rare, because
expensive) - to go abroad for the surgery;
and…….?
Generally most transmen post SRS tend to engage
either in a «penetrative-intrusive/pseudo-male»
behavior or «penetrative-intrusive-receptive/pseudohomosexual»
These transman shall implement behaviors aimed at
ensuring the partner a satisfying orgasm:
 manual/oral stimulation of the clitoris, vagina and other
erogenous zones
 Penetration with sex toys
 They less refuse to be touched in the genitals and they
permit to be touched in the breast area.
CONCLUSION
After SRS
a specific
psychosexual intervention
is necessary
pierocantafio@libero.it