Unethical Psychological Studies: The Case of David Reimer

Summary

This video discusses the tragic case of David Reimer, a Canadian man born biologically male but raised as a girl after a botched circumcision led to the accidental destruction of his penis. Following Dr. John Money's theory of gender neutrality, Reimer underwent sex reassignment surgery and was monitored for years. Despite Money's claims of success, Reimer never identified as female, faced severe psychological distress, and eventually reclaimed his male identity. His story, detailed in John Colapinto's book 'As Nature Made Him,' ends tragically with his suicide at 38, highlighting the devastating consequences of misguided medical practices.

Takeaways

• 👨‍👦 David Reimer was a Canadian man born biologically male but was reassigned and raised as a girl after a botched circumcision.
• 👶 At 7 months old, David and his twin brother were diagnosed with phimosis and referred for circumcision; only David's procedure resulted in severe damage.
• 👨‍⚕️ Dr. John Money, a psychologist, advocated for gender neutrality and believed that gender identity was primarily formed through social learning.
• 🧑‍⚕️ Money convinced David's parents that sex reassignment surgery was in David's best interest, leading to a series of surgeries and treatments.
• 👧 David was renamed Brenda and was subjected to ongoing psychological support and assessments by Money, who used the case to support his theories.
• 🚫 The treatment was highly unethical, involving forced sexual rehearsals and invasive examinations, which Money believed were necessary for gender identity development.
• 📚 Money reported the case as a success, claiming Brenda displayed typical female behaviors, contrasting with her twin brother's, which was later disputed.
• 😔 Despite the treatments, David never identified as female and suffered from depression, bullying, and a sense of not belonging.
• 🔄 At 14, David's parents revealed his original gender, and he transitioned back to living as a male, taking the name David.
• 💔 David faced a lifetime of challenges, including unemployment, the death of his brother, and a difficult relationship with his family, culminating in his tragic suicide at 38.

Q & A

Who was David Reimer?

David Reimer was a Canadian man who was born biologically male but was reassigned and raised as a girl, Brenda, following medical advice and intervention after his penis was accidentally destroyed during a botched circumcision in infancy.

What was the original name of David Reimer?

David Reimer was originally named Bruce.

What was the name of David Reimer's identical twin brother?

David Reimer's identical twin brother was named Brian.

What was the name of the psychologist who advocated for David's gender reassignment?

The psychologist who advocated for David's gender reassignment was Dr. John Money.

What was Dr. Money's theory regarding gender identity?

Dr. Money was a proponent of the theory of gender neutrality, believing that gender identity developed primarily as a result of social learning from early childhood and could be changed with appropriate behavioral interventions.

What was the surgical procedure performed on David Reimer at 22 months old?

At 22 months old, David Reimer underwent a bilateral orchidectomy, an operation where his testes were surgically removed and a rudimentary vagina was fashioned.

What was the ethical controversy surrounding David Reimer's case?

The ethical controversy surrounding David Reimer's case involved Dr. Money's methods, which included forcing the twins to rehearse sexual acts and subjecting them to genital inspections, all under the guise of research and treatment.

How did David Reimer's life unfold after learning about his gender reassignment?

After learning about his gender reassignment at the age of 14, David assumed a male gender identity, underwent treatment to reverse the reassignment, and eventually married and became a stepfather. However, he faced lifelong challenges including unemployment, the death of his brother, and a difficult relationship with his parents.

What was the outcome of Dr. Money's reported success with the 'John/Joan' case?

Contrary to Dr. Money's reports, David Reimer did not identify as a girl while living as Brenda. He experienced ostracization, bullying, and suicidal depression, leading to a reversal of the reassignment and a return to a male identity.

How did David Reimer's life end?

David Reimer took his own life by shooting himself in the head with a sawed-off shotgun in a grocery store's parking lot on May 4, 2004, at the age of 38.

What is the title of the book written about David Reimer's case?

The book written about David Reimer's case is titled 'As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl' by John Colapinto.

Outlines

00:00

🧬 The David Reimer Case: A Study in Gender Identity

This paragraph introduces the story of David Reimer, a Canadian man born biologically male but raised as a girl due to a botched circumcision in infancy. It outlines the background of the case, including the initial medical intervention and the involvement of psychologist Dr. John Money, who believed in the theory of gender neutrality and the malleability of gender identity. The narrative also touches on the unethical practices of Dr. Money, who used the twins as subjects for his theories on gender development, including invasive and inappropriate behavioral interventions.

05:00

📚 The Aftermath and Tragedy of David Reimer's Life

This paragraph delves into the later life of David Reimer, recounting the failure of the gender reassignment and the personal struggles he faced. It details the family's decision to stop the follow-up visits with Dr. Money, the emotional and psychological toll on Reimer, and his eventual return to a male identity. The summary also includes the broader impact of the case, such as the publication of a book about Reimer's life and the ultimate tragic end of his story, including his marriage, the death of his brother, and his own suicide at the age of 38.

Keywords

💡Gender Reassignment

Gender reassignment refers to the process of altering one's physical appearance and characteristics to align with their gender identity. In the video, David Reimer's case is central to this concept as he was reassigned as a girl after a botched circumcision led to the accidental destruction of his penis. The video explores the ethical and psychological implications of this decision, highlighting the struggle David faced in living as a girl named Brenda before eventually reverting to his male identity.

💡Circumcision

Circumcision is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of the foreskin from the penis. It is mentioned in the video as the initial medical procedure that led to David Reimer's gender reassignment. The video recounts how an unconventional method of cauterization during circumcision resulted in the irreversible damage to David's penis, setting the stage for the subsequent events.

💡Gender Identity

Gender identity is a person's internal sense of being male, female, or something else. The video discusses how David Reimer's gender identity was forcibly changed through medical intervention, based on the theory of gender neutrality proposed by Dr. Money. Despite being raised as a girl, David never identified as female, which challenges the notion that gender identity can be entirely shaped by social learning and behavioral interventions.

💡Behaviorism

Behaviorism is a psychological theory that suggests human behavior can be understood in terms of observable actions and learned responses to stimuli. Dr. Money, as mentioned in the video, was a proponent of this theory, believing that gender identity was primarily a result of social learning. This belief led him to conduct the controversial experiment on David Reimer, attempting to prove that nurture could override nature in determining gender roles.

💡Orchidectomy

Orchidectomy is a surgical procedure where the testes are removed. In David Reimer's case, this procedure was performed at 22 months of age as part of his gender reassignment. The video uses this term to illustrate the extreme measures taken to enforce the gender change, which had profound and lasting effects on David's physical and psychological well-being.

💡Ethical Concerns

Ethical concerns in research involve the moral implications of actions taken, particularly regarding the rights and welfare of participants. The video raises significant ethical concerns regarding Dr. Money's handling of David Reimer's case, including non-consensual medical procedures and invasive behavioral interventions, which were later criticized for causing harm rather than therapeutic benefit.

💡Trauma

Trauma refers to deep emotional or psychological distress resulting from a terrifying or life-threatening event. David Reimer's experience, as described in the video, is characterized by trauma, stemming from the forced gender reassignment, invasive medical procedures, and the psychological pressure to conform to a gender identity that did not align with his own. This trauma contributed to his lifelong struggle with depression and identity.

💡Suicidal Depression

Suicidal depression is a severe form of depression where an individual may have thoughts of suicide. The video recounts that David Reimer experienced suicidal depression by the age of 13, highlighting the extreme emotional distress caused by the conflict between his assigned gender and his true identity. This term underscores the tragic consequences of the medical and psychological interventions he underwent.

💡Testosterone Injections

Testosterone injections are used to increase testosterone levels in the body, often to induce male secondary sexual characteristics. In David Reimer's journey to revert his gender reassignment, he underwent testosterone injections to align his physical appearance with his male gender identity. This treatment is a critical aspect of the video's narrative, illustrating David's determination to reclaim his true self.

💡Phalloplasty

Phalloplasty is a surgical procedure to construct a penis. David Reimer underwent phalloplasty as part of his treatment to reverse the gender reassignment. The video mentions this procedure to show the complex medical interventions involved in David's quest for a body that matched his gender identity, further emphasizing the gravity of his initial reassignment.

💡Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking. The video mentions that David Reimer's twin brother, Brian, later developed schizophrenia, adding another layer of tragedy to the family's story. This term is used to highlight the broader context of mental health struggles within the family, which may have been exacerbated by the stress and controversy surrounding David's case.

Highlights

David Reimer's case study is a significant example of the impact of gender assignment and rearing practices.

Reimer was born biologically male but was reassigned as female after a botched circumcision.

The case was influenced by Dr. Money's theory of gender neutrality and the belief in the malleability of gender identity.

Dr. Money's theory posited that gender identity was primarily shaped by social learning and could be altered.

Reimer's twin brother, Brian, served as a control in the study, highlighting the nature versus nurture debate.

At 22 months, Reimer underwent orchidectomy and was raised as 'Brenda', marking a significant moment in the case.

The study was initially considered a test of the social learning concept of gender identity.

Dr. Money's methods included controversial practices such as forced sexual rehearsal play with the twin.

Despite Dr. Money's reports, Reimer never identified as female and suffered from bullying and depression.

At 14, Reimer's parents revealed his original gender assignment, leading him to adopt a male identity.

Reimer underwent treatment to reverse the gender reassignment, including hormone therapy and surgeries.

The case was documented in the book 'As Nature Made Him', providing an in-depth look at Reimer's life.

Reimer's life was marked by personal struggles, including unemployment and the death of his brother.

The case raises ethical questions about the conduct of psychological experiments and the role of informed consent.

Reimer's story serves as a cautionary tale about the limitations of behavioral interventions in shaping gender identity.

The case study has had a lasting impact on the understanding of gender identity and the ethics of psychological research.

Transcripts

[Music]

I've been deating on whether to discuss

several studies briefly in one video or

focus on one study and talk about it

more comprehensively and in more detail

for this video I've decided to go with

more of less instead of less of more but

let me know what you think about this

approach in the comments section this

video is about David rmer who was a

Canadian man born biologically male but

reassigned as a girl and raised female

following medical advice and

intervention from his doctor after his

penis was accidentally destroyed during

a abot circumcision in

infancy so David Ram was born in Winnie

Pig Manitoba he was originally named

Bruce and his identical T and brother

who was named Brian at the age of 6

months the concern was raised by his

parents about how both of them urinated

the boys were diagnosed with fimosis

they were referred for circumcision at

the age of 7 months and on April 27th

1966 a urologist performed the operation

using an unconventional method of

cauterization which is the burning of a

part of a body to remove or close off

part of it however the procedure did not

go as the doctors had planned and

Bruce's penis was burned Beyond surgical

repair the doctors chose not to operate

on Brian whose fosis soon cleared up

without surgical intervention Dr money

was a

psychologist and he was a prominent

proponent of the theory of gender

neutrality that is gender identity

developed primarily as a result of

social learning from early childhood and

that it could be changed with the

appropriate behavioral interventions you

got to remember that this was the time

of Skinner and and behaviorism was held

to the highest esteem in psychologic and

academic

circles money had been working on a

theory that any boy could be raised as a

girl he believed that nurture was more

important than nature when it came to

gender roles the rer twins provided

money with a perfect sample two twin

boys one believing they were a girl

raised by the same people in the same

way this allowed money to experiment on

Bruce while using his twin brother Brian

as a control money and his team

persuaded the baby's parents that sex

reassignment surgery would be R in ry's

best interests at the age of 22 months

Bruce underwent a bilateral

orchidectomy which is an operation where

his testes were surgically removed and a

rudimentary vver was

fashioned Bruce was reassigned to be

raised as a female and given the name

Brenda psychological support for the

reassignment of surgery was provided by

John money who continued to see the RMA

family annually for about a decade for

consultations and to assess the

outcome pretty much he was gathering

data using these two kids and their

family as as participants in his

study his reassignment was considered a

valid test of the social learning

concept of gender identity for two

primary reasons first R made an ideal

control because the others shared the

same genes family environment and womb

so that covers the basis of both nature

and nurture secondly this was reputed to

be the first reassignment and

reconstruction performed on a male

infant who had no abnormality or

prenatal or early postnatal sexual

differentiation so was it an interesting

study yes was it unethical absolutely

rer said that Dr money forced the twins

to rehearse sexual acts involving

trusting movements with David playing

the bottom role ryer said that as a

child he had to get down on all fours

with his brother Brian up behind his

butt with his Crotched against his but

ryer said that Dr money forced David in

another sexual position to have his legs

spread with Brian on top Ryman said that

Dr money also forced the children to

take their clothes off and engage in

genital inspections on at least one

occasion rer said that Dr money took a

photograph of the two children doing

these activities while Dr money's

rational for these various treatments

was his belief that childhood sexual

rehearsal play was important or was

important for a healthy adult gender

identity for several years after the

surgery Dr money reported on Ry on

rymer's progress as the John Joan case

and he bragged that the child's Behavior

was so clearly that of an active little

girl and so different from the boy ways

of a twin brother that the surgery and

the following behavioral therapy must

have been a

success notes by a former student at

money's lab stated that during the

follow-up visits which occurred only

once a year rymer's parents routinely

lied to the lab staff about the success

of the procedure and the twin brother

Brian later developed

schizophrenia Rhyman had experien the

visits to the clinic in Baltimore as

traumatic rather than therapeutic when

he started pressuring the family to

bring him in for surgery during which a

vagina would be constructed the family

discontinued the followup visits and

from 22 months into his teenage years

Rimer urinated through a hole that

surgeons had placed in the abdomen

estrogen was given during adolesence to

induce breast development a book was

written about rimmer's Case by John

kapino and it's called as nature made

him the boy who was raised as a girl and

in that book which I do recommend you to

read if you find the story interesting

calpino described K how contrary to

money's reports when living as Brenda

Rama did not identify as a girl in fact

he was ostracized and bullied by his

peers and neither the dresses which he

was forced to wear nor female hormones

made him feel female by the age of 13

rer was experiencing suicidal depression

and he told his parents he would take

own life if they made him see money

again on March 14th

1980 when he was 14 years old rma's

parents told him the truth about his

gender reassignment following advice

from R raymer's endocrinologist and

psychiatrist at 14 after having been

informed by of his past by his father

ryer decided to assume a male gender

identity calling himself David and by

1987 Ryman had undergone treatment to

reverse the reassignment including

testosterone injections and double

masectomy and two phop plasty

operations on September 22nd 1990 he

married Jane Fontaine and became a

stepfather to her three children in

addition to his difficult lifelong

relationship with his parents ryer had

to deal with unemployment and the death

of his brother Brian who overdosed on

anti-depressants in 2002 on May 2004 his

wife Jane told him she wanted to

separate and on the morning of May 4th

2004 ryer drove to the grocery store's

parking lot and took his own life by

shooting himself in the head with a

sword or shotgun he was 38 years

old and that is the end of this video if

you liked it and found it interesting

please like the video and if you want to

watch more videos like this one

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channel thanks