The key to gender dysphoria could be genetic

What if you could tell who might be transgender through their DNA?

Researchers have discovered a DNA signature common to all cancers. Source: Getty

We don’t have a lot of strong stats on transgender Australians - in fact, it wasn’t until the 2016 census that you could list yourself as anything other than male or female.

That census did count 1260 sex or gender-diverse Australians, 26% who reported as transgender men or women. But international studies suggest that as many as 1% of people are trans.

The nature vs nurture debate has been highly controversial, both in and outside of the transgender community. But researchers across the globe have spent recent decades trying to suss out if there really is a biological link. Now a group of Aussie scientists say they might have found it.

The team from Monash Uni spent 15 years building the world’s largest DNA database of trans women - 384 in total. They then studied 12 genes that affect the production of hormones, which scientists believe also contribute to the gender identity a person forms in their brain. When measured those 12 genes against a control group of 344 men, scientists found four small, but significant differences.

These results show a link rather than a cause, but there’s another group of European and US researchers hoping to study a similar link on a much bigger scale.

Right now the only way we can determine if someone is transgender is through self-identification. Meaning if there is a biological signal the implications could be huge.

Kochava Lilit spoke with Michael Hing and Jan Fran