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Arch Sex Behav (2017) 46:255264 DOI 10.1007/s10508-016-0872-6
http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10508-016-0872-6&domain=pdf
Web End = http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10508-016-0872-6&domain=pdf
Web End = SPECIAL SECTION: THE PUZZLE OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Who Are Gynandromorphophilic Men? An Internet Survey of Men with Sexual Interest in Transgender Women
A. M. Rosenthal1 Kevin J. Hsu1 J. Michael Bailey1
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5815-4817
Web End = Received: 16 February 2016 / Revised: 19 September 2016 / Accepted: 21 September 2016 / Published online: 17 November 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016
Abstract Gynandromorphophilia (GAMP) is attraction to gynandromorphs (GAMs), who are natal males with both breasts and a penis, colloquially known asshe-males.Men with GAMP (n = 314) and heterosexual men not attracted to GAMs (n = 211)completed anInternetsurvey regardingtheir sexual attraction patterns, relationship history, and potential correlates of GAMP. Men with GAMP reported much higher attractiontonatalwomenthantomen,althoughtheyalsoreported slightly higher levels of bisexual feelings compared with controls. Men with GAMP were equally attracted to natal women and GAMs, on average. Thus, GAMP is best considered an unusual form of heterosexuality rather than a separate sexual orientation. Indeed, men with GAMP scored much higher than controls on a measure of autogynephilia, or sexual arousal by theideaorfantasyofbeingawoman,whichisalsoconsidereda variant of heterosexual attraction.
Keywords Gynandromorphophilia Transgender
Sexual orientation Sexual identity Paraphilia
Autogynephilia
Introduction
Gynandromorphophilia is sexual attraction to gynandromorphs, colloquially known asshe-males.Specically for the purposes of this article, we understand a gynandromorph to comprise a natal male with breasts and a penis. Typically, this is
a male-to-female transsexual who has received all medical procedures associated with sex reassignment except for vaginoplasty.
Despite therelative dearthofscienticknowledgeabout it, gynandromorphophiliaisarelativelycommoneroticinterest. A recent news article on the phenomenon noted:
On the free porn site PornHub, which offers 69 different categories of porn, the so-calledshemalecategory ranks 22nd in most searched, with 1.51 percent of all category views. [For comparisons sake, the] number one searched category is lesbian at 6.39 percent, while amateur, for example, gets 2 percent. (Herman, 2015)
Terminological Choices and Social Controversies
Note that our usage ofgynandromorphophiliais narrower in meaning than that intended by past researchers. The earliest empirical study of the phenomenon examined mens erotic interestincross-dressers,transvestites,transsexuals,orshe-males (Blanchard & Collins, 1993). All such interests were included withingynandromorphophilia,withtheimplicationthatcross-dressers, transvestites, transsexuals, and she-males are all types of gynandromorphs.
We believe that the specic sexual interest in she-males is substantially more common compared...