Gender identity disorder and courtship disorder.

A hypothetical connection between gender identity disorder and courtship disorder was investigated in 274 heterosexual male patients of the following types: nontransvestic fetishists for female attire; transvestic fetishists; patients with gender identity disorder of adolescence and adulthood, nontranssexual type; and transsexuals. Of these patients, 53 had also demonstrated one or more of the putative expressions of courtship disorder. The proportion each of these types contributed to this group of 53 patients with a courtship disorder was compared with the same type's proportional contribution to the group of 221 gender identity patients without a courtship disorder. The transvestic fetishists contributed a significantly larger percentage and the transsexuals a significantly smaller percentage of individuals to the group with a courtship disorder than to that without a courtship disorder. Theoretical implications of this asymmetry are discussed.