Transvestic fetishism

Transvestic fetishism is a psychiatric diagnosis applied to people who are sexually aroused by the act of cross-dressing and experience significant distress or impairment – socially or occupationally – because of their behavior.^[2][1] It differs from cross-dressing without distress or impairment, and/or for entertainment or other purposes that do not involve sexual arousal. Under the name transvestic disorder, it is categorized as a paraphiliac disorder in the DSM-5.^[3]

Transvestic fetishism
Specialty	Psychiatry
Symptoms	Being sexually aroused by the act of cross-dressing and experiencing significant distress or impairment – socially or occupationally – because of one’s behavior.[1]

In the DSM-5

The DSM-5 states that late-onset gender dysphoria in adolescent and adult males is preceded by "transvestic behavior with sexual excitement" in many cases.^[4]

According to DSM-IV, transvestic fetishism was limited to heterosexual men; however, the DSM-5 does not have this restriction, and opens it to women and men with this interest, regardless of their sexual orientation.^[2] It is, however, usually documented in males.^[5]

There are two key criteria before a psychiatric diagnosis of "transvestic fetishism" is made:^[1]

1. Individuals must be sexually aroused by the act of cross-dressing.
2. Individuals must experience significant distress or impairment – socially or occupationally – because of their behavior.

References

Citations

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing.
2. "Paraphilic Disorders Fact Sheet" (PDF). dsm5.org. May 15, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2016.
3. American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. pp. 685–705. ISBN 978-0-89042-555-8.
4. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. 2013. pp. 451–460. ISBN 978-0-89042-554-1.
5. Cowen P, Harrison P, Burns T (2012). Shorter Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry. OUP Oxford. p. 373. ISBN 978-0191626753.

Sources

• Wheeler, Jennifer; Newring, Kirk A. B.; Draper, Crissa (2008). "16: Transvestic Fetishism, Psychopathology and Theory; 17: Transvestic Fetishism, Assessment and Treatment". In Laws, Richard D.; O'Donohue, William T. (eds.). Sexual Deviance: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment (2 ed.). New York: Guilford Press. pp. 272–304. ISBN 978-1-59385-605-2. OCLC 230822507 – via Internet Archive.