A qualitative exploration of the motivations and implications of chest binding practices for transmasculine...

Trans and gender diverse individuals experience heightened levels of poor mental health outcomes compared to cisgender people. For transmasculine people, a contributor to this disparity can be chest dysphoria, which can be addressed through the masculinization of one's physique in a practice known as chest binding. Current research is limited in its breadth and depth, with there being a scarcity of literature on chest binding motivations and subsequent implications. Addressing this gap, this study aimed to qualitatively explore the chest binding motivations and implications experienced by transmasculine Australians.

Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants recruited via convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Qualitative data were analyzed and presented using an inductive approach based in reflexive thematic analysis.

Six themes were identified during data analysis. Three characterized motivations for binding: (1) chest binding's role in euphoric experiences of gender, (2) alleviating distress and improving wellbeing, and (3) interacting with the social world. Three characterized binding implications: (1) baseline experiences of negative physical discomfort, (2) contextual and environmental complexities of negative experiences, and (3) binding's relationship with clothing and dress.

Together, these findings revealed that transmasculine individuals often face a tradeoff of priorities when engaging in chest binding practices. The benefits driving motivations for binding come with implications that can create difficulty and occasionally hinder physical health. However, chest binding is viewed as a need as opposed to a choice by transmasculine individuals, with emotional wellbeing often being prioritized.

Findings have a practical view of guiding safe and effective use of chest binding in gender affirming care models, as well as informing transmasculine suicide prevention strategies.