Four Case studies.

Transvestism is defined by Kinsey as behaviour by ‘an individual who prefers to wear the clothes of the opposite sex and who desires to be accepted in the social organization as an individual of the opposite sex’. Transsexualism refers to those cases where in addition the urge exists to undergo a sex-conversion operation.

Interest in these problems arose when, within a period of 5 months, 4 such patients were admitted to Tara Hospital. A search of the literature showed that there were very few reported cases and that lack of a definitive plan of management existed. Eyres stated that approximately 50 cases of transvestism had been recorded in the literature, but the actual incidence is probably higher, taking into account the experience of Hamburger et al. who received hundreds of letters seeking help, from all over the world, following their report of a case.