- Many of the youth experienced the onset of puberty as distressing because the body developed in the wrong direction. 
- For some, puberty was distressing, but it took a while before they connected this with being different from others in relation to gender.

Arizona State University

The body emerged as an important contributing factor to the development and unfolding of subjective experiences of gender dysphoria.

Theme: Body 

Jessen, R. S., Haraldsen, I., & Stänicke, E. (2021). Navigating in the dark: Meta-synthesis of subjective experiences of gender dysphoria amongst transgender and gender non-conforming youth. Social Science & Medicine, 281, 114094. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114094

Navigating in the Dark: Meta-Synthesis of Subjective Experiences of Gender Dysphoria Amongst Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth

Sub-theme: Puberty

- Some youth expressed hatred towards their body. 
- Many of the youth struggled in relating to their body and feeling an ownership of it because they felt a sense of alienation and being disconnected. 

Sub-theme: Disconnected from the Body 

- Because of the pivotal role of the body, body modification was important in order to be recognized. Body modifications could be achieved through medical treatment or modification of the body through means such as weight reduction or cutting the hair. 
- Reinterpreting the body in light of societal gender norms influenced subjective experiences of gender dysphoria. It seemed that body modifications were more helpful for some if they were accompanied by reinterpretations of the body. 

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