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Subjective Experiences of Pregnancy, Delivery, and Nursing in Transgender Men and Non-Binary Individuals: A Qualitative Analysis of Gender and Mental Health Concerns
Dalarna University, School of Health and Welfare, Caring Science/Nursing.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7927-4041
2024 (English)In: Archives of Sexual Behavior, ISSN 0004-0002, E-ISSN 1573-2800, Vol. 53, no 5, p. 1981-2002Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Sustainable development
SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 5: Gender equality
Abstract [en]

Studies of how gender-diverse individuals experience pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing remain few, mainly focus on the US and contain scarce information about mental health concerns peri-partum. This hinders informed reproductive health decisions and counseling. We used in-depth interviews to examine how gestational gender-diverse individuals in Sweden experience the process of planning and undergoing pregnancy, delivery, and nursing. In total, 12 participants, identifying on the masculine side of the gender spectrum or as non-binary, who had attended Swedish antenatal care and delivered a live birth, were included in the study. Data were analyzed using qualitative thematic content analysis. The analysis resulted in one overarching theme: sustaining gender congruence during pregnancy and three main categories: (1) considering pregnancy; (2) undergoing pregnancy and childbirth; and (3) postnatal reflections. The association between childbearing and being regarded as female permeated narratives. Participants renegotiated the feminine connotations of pregnancy, accessed gender-affirming treatment, and concealed their pregnancy to safeguard their gender congruence. Mis-gendering and breast enlargement triggered gender dysphoria. Social judgment, loneliness, information shortages, hormonal influence and cessation of testosterone increased gender dysphoria and strained their mental health. Depression exacerbated gender dysphoria and made it harder to claim one's gender identity. Dissociation was used to handle a feminized body, vaginal delivery, and nursing. Pregnancy was easier to envision and handle after masculinizing gender-affirming treatments. The results deepen the understanding of gender dysphoria and may be used to inform reproductive counseling and healthcare development. Research outcomes on mental health concerns provide a basis for further research.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2024. Vol. 53, no 5, p. 1981-2002
Keywords [en]
Breast feeding, Coming-out process, Gender congruence, Gender dysphoria, Gender identity, Post-partum depression
National Category
Nursing
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:du-47899DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02787-0ISI: 001151000500001PubMedID: 38228983Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85182476691OAI: oai:DiVA.org:du-47899DiVA, id: diva2:1830588
Available from: 2024-01-23 Created: 2024-01-23 Last updated: 2024-11-15Bibliographically approved

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Armuand, Gabriela

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • chicago-author-date
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  • Other style
More styles
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  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
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Output format
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