[Partner relationship and sexuality of female-to-male transsexuals]

Partnership and sexuality have received little attention in research on transsexualism. In particular, the viewpoints of partners of transsexual individuals were scarcely taken into consideration. We conducted a qualitative study on five long-term partnerships of female-to-male transsexuals and their female partners, using a semi-structured interview to explore relationship and sexuality. The rejection of the female biological sex by transsexuals is reinforced by their partner's non-percipience of the female transsexuals' biology. Female attributes in men appeared to be important for the partnership. All the participants emphasized both the stability and normality of their individual partnership. Against this backdrop, FM transsexuals who may have doubts about any perspectives for partnerships can be told, within a clinical setting, about positive and stable relationships, which have enabled FM transsexuals to live their male gender roles and to be accepted as men.