Seen as one of the most cruel cases in psychology, the story of David Reimer This is because the man went through a forced transition in his life, compromising his perception of himself. Let's look at everything that was involved in his trajectory and how this impacted everyone.

The story

David Reimer, born as Bruce, was born healthy as a male individual, having a corresponding twin Near the seventh month of life, their parents noticed that both of them had problems to evacuate urine, so, not knowing how to deal with the situation, they took them to a doctor and found out about the double phimosis they were suffering from.

This was because the urologist in charge used a cauterization needle instead of a scalpel, a standard procedure. Because of this, the operation did not go as expected and David had his penis burned off, requiring a forced castration .

Concerned about the child's happiness, they eventually took him to John Money, a psychologist who advocated gender neutrality. According to him, it was possible to raise David as a girl by subjecting him to a "feminization" routine. So, over the course of 10 years, the boy had his physiological masculinity removed and was fitted in as a girl .

The training to be a woman

John Money was found by David Reimer's parents while they were watching television, who openly discussed his theories on gender, claiming that it was all a social issue. That is, a man and a woman become what they are because they are educated to be so, regardless of their genitalia .

In this way, Money forced the twins into a kind of sexual rehearsal. While David took a passive position, his brother Brian had the more active role. With that, David was forced to crouch down while his brother rubbed his groin behind him Not to mention that Brian was spreading his legs so that he was on top of her.

Although uncomfortable, everything was seen as natural by John Money. The psychologist claimed that sexual games in childhood build healthy gender identity in adulthood. However, David reports his discomfort with the whole situation, stating the pain of the moment As he grew older, his distaste for John Money grew.

John's mistake

Had he not met John Money, David Reimer might have had a more comfortable life as much as possible. John reflected very well the limited thought patterns at that time on more complex issues. The theory involving the gender of people was still being built and did not have such a complete basis .

We can say that there was a certain greed and ego in Money's agreement to work on the case He and his brother shared genes, physical and uterine environment, and gender, so by proposing controversial methodologies he could come out as a pioneer in research.

However, it is quite clear that Money wanted to see what he wanted to see. Adult Reimer himself has already stated how painful the process was for him and his family. According to him, there was a personal strangeness about himself and the world Regardless, Money was adamant about proving his theories by means of a distorted work.

Consequences

As one might imagine, David Reimer went through absurd traumas in his development. Thanks to these experiences, there were serious and irremediable sequels in his life and in that of his family All of this contributed to the sad end that man took at the end of his life. Among so many marks, we find wounds in the:

In childhood

Because of his behavior, David was often rejected by girls, even though he looked like one. On the other hand, he was also rejected by boys precisely because of his appearance. This eventually made him a loner, and he had difficulty relating to others. .

The Family

After discovering the whole truth, although congratulated on knowing his origin, David did not have a good family relationship. It is clear that he blamed the family for the trauma he experienced in his childhood. Not to mention the negligence, since the parents publicly affirmed the success of the procedure .

Brian

The situation was not easy either when Brian discovered the truth about his brother. Because of the revelation that David was also biologically male, Brian ended up developing schizophrenia. By abusing antidepressants, he eventually overdosed and died in the early 2000s .

Impact

David Reimer's story found in reports and in the published book changed the dynamics of medical practices. His case served as an example for us to better understand the idea of gender biology. With that, he ended up giving birth to the:

Decline of sex reassignment surgery

Fearing similar cases, surgery to sexually alter someone has been rejected by experts and society. This includes surgeries to repair male children with micropenis, as well as any other deformation. Even though they are dependent, their lack of consent prohibited any intervention .

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The role of hormones

Reimer gave support to the talk that prenatal hormones influence the brain difference. Moreover, he added that early childhood also helps in this, building gender identity and sexual-dimorphic behavior .

Final comments on David Reimer's story

Though painful, David Reimer's trajectory helps us better understand the biology of gender Although it can be used by extremist groups to justify their beliefs, it corroborates the line of thought that includes hormones. In other words, the biological part can help determine how an individual views himself sexually.

However, it should be noted that genitals are not the only components for sex determination A man may feel like a man for having a penis, but another man may find this condition insufficient. One must keep in mind the real idea of what gender, sex, and sexual orientation are.

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With their help, you will work through the rich material in the workbooks and be able to polish your knowledge potential. And as soon as you finish your classes, we will send you a printed certificate, proving your excellent training in the field. So make sure you get a chance to improve yourself and better understand stories like David Reimer's with our Psychoanalysis course!