Prevalence of adolescent gender variance in Germany

Adolescence marks a transition point in the development of gender experience and expression. Although there is growing awareness about various gender identities in health research, only limited data on the prevalence of... [ view full abstract ]

Adolescence marks a transition point in the development of gender experience and expression. Although there is growing awareness about various gender identities in health research, only limited data on the prevalence of adolescent gender variance in the general population exists.

The main research goal was to identify how many adolescents display what we consider a gender variant experience or nonconforming expression, how gender variance is distributed across gender and age, and what these experiences... [ view full abstract ]

The main research goal was to identify how many adolescents display what we consider a gender variant experience or nonconforming expression, how gender variance is distributed across gender and age, and what these experiences imply in detail.  

German female and male high-school students aged 10–16 participating in the representative “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children” (HBSC) Hamburg survey were asked to report their current gender experience... [ view full abstract ]

German female and male high-school students aged 10–16 participating in the representative “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children” (HBSC) Hamburg survey were asked to report their current gender experience (identification as both feminine and masculine) and gender expression (gender role as girl or boy). Two overall categories and five subcategories on gender experience and expression were established based on previous research.

The present study aimed to replicate results of previous research for adolescents by applying multidimensional categories for gender experience (including congruent, somewhat congruent, incongruent, ambivalent, and no gender... [ view full abstract ]

The present study aimed to replicate results of previous research for adolescents by applying multidimensional categories for gender experience (including congruent, somewhat congruent, incongruent, ambivalent, and no gender identification), and expression (completely or somewhat conforming and non-conforming gender role behavior).

In total, 4.1% of the adolescents’ responses were rated as variant in gender experience and 3.0% as nonconforming in expression. Both variant experiences and nonconforming expression together were present in only 0.9% of... [ view full abstract ]

In total, 4.1% of the adolescents’ responses were rated as variant in gender experience and 3.0% as nonconforming in expression. Both variant experiences and nonconforming expression together were present in only 0.9% of adolescents. Gender variance was more strongly present in girls as well as in younger age groups. In detail, 1.6% reported an incongruent, 1.1% an ambivalent, and 1.5% no gender identification. Another 8.0% of the responses could be rated as only somewhat congruent.

Fluidity between clearly congruent or incongruent pathways is present in adolescence, including variant as well as possibly still developing (only somewhat clear) gender experiences, whereas clearly incongruent identification... [ view full abstract ]

Fluidity between clearly congruent or incongruent pathways is present in adolescence, including variant as well as possibly still developing (only somewhat clear) gender experiences, whereas clearly incongruent identification and nonconforming expression were less frequent. Understanding adolescent gender development as multidimensional is important in order to identify the needs of those who do not fit into the current understanding of either female or male.