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BACKGROUND: There is a lack of research on the sexual health of transgender individuals, as well as a paucity of data about overall sexual health indexes before treatment. AIMS: This study aims to analyze the main issues involved in transgender individuals’ sexual behavior (with and without a partner), overall sexual health indexes, and potential predictors of sexual health, comparing trans men and trans women on all the variables assessed. METHODS: 260 trans people were recruited at a transgender health clinic in Spain. Participants completed the Sexual Behavior Questionnaire for transgender people before receiving any treatment. RESULTS: Overall results show that trans women have a more ego-dystonic and problematic experience of their sexuality. Regarding masturbation, there are no differences in its frequency between trans women and trans men, although there are differences in the reasons they do not masturbate. Regarding sexual behavior with a partner, trans women experience more difficulties than trans men, with significant differences in several areas (e.g., the percentage of transgender individuals who never allow their partners to touch their genitals). Regarding sexual health, we found differences between groups, with lower sexual desire, sexual arousal without orgasm, and overall sexual health in trans women. Likewise, different variables such as pain during sex, fantasies, and time with a steady partner seem to be associated with the different sexual health indexes. CONCLUSION: Our results show a clear difference between trans women and trans men in most of the sexual aspects assessed, revealing greater gender dysphoria in trans women. We would recommend taking these data into account, as well as variables that may be associated with different sexual health indexes, when designing interventions for transgender people.

This study examines the role of sociocultural and dispositional factors in the sexual expressions of young Argentinian and Spanish women. Three hundred young women self-evaluated their sexual practices, sexual orientation, and relationships. Results reveal differences in women's sexuality based on societal and dispositional variables. The latter seem to play a more important role in those sexual behaviors that are normative in Hispanic traditions, whereas gender dissimilarity is more relevant when these behaviors are socially censured. Therefore, women's sexuality in Hispanic traditions, such as in Argentina and Spain, seems to be more complex than past studies reported.

Internalized homophobia has been related to mental health problems and sexual risk behaviors among nonheterosexual people. This article validates the Spanish adaptation of the Short Internalized Homonegativity Scale (SIHS). For this purpose, 347 men and 183 women completed the instrument. Exploratory factorial analysis showed three factors: public identification as homosexual (PIH), sexual comfort with homosexual people (SEXC), and social comfort with homosexual people (SOCC). These factors explained 57.96% of total variance. In addition, confirmatory factorial analysis supported this structure and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was.80 for the full scale. The three subscales ranged from.70 to.79. Convergent validity showed a positive correlation between the SIHS and depressive symptoms, and negative correlation with condom use, self-esteem, and having sex after alcohol consumption. In conclusion, the SIHS could be an accurate instrument to evaluate internalized homophobia among the Spanish population.

The authors focus on the influence of participants' having or not having a steady partner when reference to cybersex use. Participants were 1,239 young, Spanish individuals who completed the Internet Sex Screening Test. Results showed the influence of being in a relationship on certain consumption dimensions of cybersex; the influence was found to be greater in men than in women. In general, cybersex activity was higher for single participants, although it was also significant for participants with a steady partner. The authors' findings facilitate the comprehension of the effect of new technologies in intimate human relationships.