I am Dr. Ketil Slagstad, here to talk about my book "Standardizing Sex" and the history of trans medicine. AMA!

Hi everybody, I am Ketil Slagstad, a historian of medicine at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and author of Standardizing Sex: A History of Trans Medicine (Uni. Chicago Press, 2025). The book traces the emergence of trans medicine in Scandinavia from the 1920s to the turn of the century, examining the construction and negotiation of medical expertise and practices among professionals, patients, and activists. Based on analysis of medical records, public and private archives, and oral history interview, the book examines the various ways scientists, medical professionals, and the state have sought to define and standardize sex. Equally important, however, is how trans communities have asserted their agency, resisted pathologizing and restrictive frameworks, and shaped scientific understandings of sex.

I will answer your questions today from 9am to 1pm ET. I am looking forward to them! Thank you very much!