426 The attitudes toward Sexual rights of transgender people and sociodemographic characteristics involved in the recognition and denial

Objective: Only recently the importance of Sexual Rights (SR) has been discussed at the international level and the issue has recently entered into public debate. In addition SR of both Male to Female (MtoF) and female to Male (FtoM) transsexuals appear to be far behind those of other minorities, probably because of the lack of knowledge by the people, which often causes unfounded prejudices. Aim of this study was to analyze the level of agreement of Italian people with the SR of transgender people and to verify if some characteristics of the population, such as gender, being from northern or southern region, age, being male or female, undergraduates, non-believer or churchgoers, were associated with a lower SR recognition. Materials and methods: An online anonymous questionnaire was realized to collect demographic data and information about the level of agreement/disagreement (on a 6-point likert scale), with statements regarding the right for MtoF and FtoM transsexual people, to show in public their own sexual identity, to practice a satisfying sexuality, to marry, to adopt a child. Nonparametric statistics were used for data analysis. Results: 979 People (703 women and 276 men, mean age 35,44 ± 11,69) fulfilled the questionnaire. Twelve percent of the sample declared against the marriage of both MtoF and FtoM transgender people and against the adoption by couples were one of the partner is a MtoF transgender and in case of FtoM transgender the percentage arise to 28%. On the characteristics of respondents that affect the recognition of SR: Be female, graduated, younger than 30, non-believer or not church going and non-eterosexual, with respect to males, heterosexuals, under-graduated, believer church going, was correlated to a major recognition of the right to satisfying sexuality (p<.05) to marry (p<.05) and to adopt for both MtoF and FtoM (p<.05). These sociodemographic characteristics are also linked to lower intolerance toward SR of homosexual and bisexual orientation. Finally, people from northern Italy declared higher accordance with the sexual right to freely show their own sexual identity in public by MtoF and FtoM (p<.05). Conclusions SR recognition seems heavily affected by some characteristics of people among which instruction, age and religiosity gender and sexual orientation. This could drive the next diffusion of SR policies in addressing specific educational interventions to those categories of people at greater risk of intolerance toward SR.