Education for transgender women: Are the sources of information for the lay public sufficient?

▪ ABSTRACT

A transsexual woman is one assigned male at birth, but whose gender identity is female. This incompatibility can have negative impacts on socialization and trigger feelings of restlessness, anguish, and frustration. Given this, it is essential, not only for socialization purposes but also for self-acceptance, to adapt physical characteristics to the gender one wishes to express. The population of trans women must have access to pertinent information regarding methods and techniques that can not only minimize complaints and bring desires closer but can also guarantee safety and physical well-being. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding informative materials aimed at the lay trans population about facial feminization surgery. To externalize the exposed panorama, a systematic review of the literature was carried out in the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, IBECS, LILACS, and SciELO databases. Although facial feminization surgery is a recurring topic, there was a lack of articles that addressed patient education on the topic. Facial feminization surgery is a broad term that covers several surgeries and procedures and the creation of informative material for the lay public is necessary. The development of educational technologies can help provide information regarding the benefits and risks of available modalities, as well as clarify doubts and help patients make decisions about the best treatment. In this sense, the contribution of written educational technologies in the context of promoting behavioral changes, prevention, and health becomes relevant.

Keywords:

Education - Gender dysphoria - Transgender persons - Plastic surgery procedures - Review

Institution: Divisão de Cirurgia Plástica da Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Publication History

Received: 24 October 2023

Accepted: 27 July 2024

Article published online:
22 May 2025

• REFERÊNCIAS

• 1 Bockting WO. Psychotherapy and real-life experience: from gender dichotomy to gender diversity. Sexologies 2008; 17 (04) 211-224
• 2 American Psychiatric Association (APA). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5 R). 5th . Washington: American Psychiatric Association; 2013: 451-460
• 3 Coleman E, Bockting W, Botzer M, Cohen-Kettenis P, Decuypere G, Feldman J. et al. Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender-Nonconforming People, Version 7. Int J Transgend 2012; 13 (04) 165-232
• 4 Reisner SL, Poteat T, Keatley J, Cabral M, Mothopeng T, Dunham E. et al. Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review. Lancet 2016; 388 (10042): 412-436
• 5 Chou DW, Bruss D, Tejani N, Brandstetter K, Kleinberger A, Shih C. Quality of Life Outcomes After Facial Feminization Surgery. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med 2022; 24 (S2): S44-S46
• 6 Nuyen B, Kandathil C, McDonald D, Chou DW, Shih C, Most SP. The Health Burden of Transfeminine Facial Gender Dysphoria: An Analysis of Public Perception. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med 2021; 23 (05) 350-356
• 7 Stribling JC, Richardson JE. Placing wireless tablets in clinical settings for patient education. J Med Libr Assoc 2016; 104 (02) 159-164
• 8 Lee SY, Wang TJ, Hwang GJ, Chang SC. Effects of the use of interactive E- books by intensive care unit patients’ family members: anxiety, learning performances and perceptions. Br J Educ Technol 2019; 50 (02) 888-901
• 9 Martínez-Miranda IP, Casuso-Holgado MJ, Jesús Jiménez-Rejano J. Effect of patient education on quality-of-life, pain and fatigue in breast cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Rehabil 2021; 35 (12) 1722-1742
• 10 White Hughto JM, Reisner SL, Pachankis JE. Transgender stigma and health: A critical review of stigma determinants, mechanisms, and interventions. Soc Sci Med 2015; 147: 222-231
• 11 Macapagal K, Bhatia R, Greene GJ. Differences in Healthcare Access, Use, and Experiences Within a Community Sample of Racially Diverse Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Emerging Adults. LGBT Health 2016; 3 (06) 434-442
• 12 Teixeira JC, Morrison SD, Brandstetter KA, Nuara MJ. Is There an Increasing Interest in Facial Feminization Surgery? A Search Trends Analysis. J Craniofac Surg 2020; 31 (03) 606-607
• 13 Fernandez-Luque L, Staccini P. All that Glitters Is not Gold: Consumer Health Informatics and Education in the Era of Social Media and Health Apps. Findings from the Yearbook 2016 Section on Consumer Health Informatics. Yearb Med Inform 2016; 10 (01) 188-193
• 14 Teles LM, Oliveira AS, Campos FC, Lima TM, Costa CC, Gomes LF. et al. Construção e validação de manual educativo para acompanhantes durante o trabalho de parto e parto. Rev Esc Enferm USP 2014; 48 (06) 977-984
• 15 Schnitman G, Wang T, Kundu S, Turkdogan S, Gotlieb R, How J. et al. The role of digital patient education in maternal health: A systematic review. Patient Educ Couns 2022; 105 (03) 586-593