Gender Dysphoria, formerly known as Gender Identity Disorder, is described by the DSM-IV as a persistent and strong cross-gender identification and a persistent unease with ones sex. However, gender identity is not diagnosed as such if it is comorbid with a physical intersex condition. Gender dysphoria is not to be confused with sexual orientation, as people with gender dysphoria could be attracted to men, women, or both. According to an article written by, Australasian Sciences there are four very specific pieces of criteria that an individual needs to fulfilled in order to be considered afflicted with gender dysphoria. There must be strong and persistent evidence cross gender identification. However, this cross gender identification can not be determinant by any perceived cultural advantages of being the opposite gender. The sole purpose of opposite gender identification must be an uneasiness or uncomfortableness in one’s birth gender. A viable diagnosis can not be made if gender dysphoria is comorbid with physical intersex condition. Lastly, there must be evidence of significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. Early research in regards to gender dysphoria, is primarily rooted in psychological causality. Some of these main causes were thought to be solely dysfunctional family dynamics or a traumatic childhood. However, as research continued there was little evidence found to uphold this theory. According to Cindy Meston, Ph.D. & Penny
There was not much research going into the topic of gender dysphoria compared to other disorders in children, however, there is evidence that researchers are becoming more and more interested about gender dysphoria and seeing the benefits in putting research into it. There could be a possible connection between depression and gender dysphoria in a way that outside factors influences the onset of depression on adolescents with gender dysphoria, outside factors being gender norms in society, possible events that happen in childhood, and so on. It is not to say that individuals with gender dysphoria automatically have depressive symptoms caused by the disorder itself, but rather it is the outside factors that cause depression to occur in adolescents with gender
The American Psychiatric Association in their desk reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-5™ describes gender dysphoria as:
Gender identity, as defined in Webster’s Dictionary is, “the totality of physical and behavioral traits that are designated by a culture as masculine or feminine” (Webster, 2014). The first words said in the delivery room are often “it’s a boy!” or “it’s a girl!” Intersex children, who fall in between the scientific gender spectrum for male or female, are put through genital mutilation surgery and hormone treatment to abide by one of the two categories. Children who are born with an intersex condition where reproductive or sexual anatomy that do not fit typical females or a typical male’s norms should not have sex assignment surgery performed. This should be decided by the child when they are mature enough to make that decision for themselves. This is morally wrong because the social and cultural need to place intersex individual’s into the category of one sex or the other can have negative impact on their mental and physical health and many of the surgeries done on intersexed infants were done more for the benefit of parents, healthcare practitioners, and society, than for the infant. In the long run, this surgery done at such a young age can cause an unstable quality of life filled with shame and a feeling of exclusion from society along with the possibility of losing sexual functions. I will be mentioning evidence of cases that demonstrate that it’s impossible for intersex individuals who have had sex reassignment surgery that it did not help them identify with the rest
Gender Dysphoria is a name given to the condition of children who express a gender that is opposite of their biologically given gender. Children and teens who present and verbalize the desire to be of the opposite gender for at least six months are then diagnosed and treated medically. This issue is ethically controversial due to many parents, medical doctors, mental professionals, and myself believing that biological gender identification is not fully understood until puberty has taken place, noticing that children are exposed to transgender terminology and situations on the internet that are persuasive and confusing, and being concerned about the medications used to treat a disorder that can barely be explained and is misunderstood. Medications such as hormone blockers and opposite-sex hormones have become readily available to them without any long term testing. Not only should parents, doctors, professionals, and society be concerned about the safety of these medications, we should be asking ourselves, is gender dysphoria even a medical condition that should be treated with drugs or is it a psychological disorder that should be treated with therapy? Gender Dysphoria is a condition in children and teens that the general population does not understand, however, after doing research I believe the definition of gender dysphoria is
Chapter eleven focuses on sexual disorders and gender identity disorders. For this discussion I wanted to talk about gender identity disorder. For ordinary individuals they can describe themselves or identify themselves as either males or females since we are a child. But, there are some individuals who do not experienced this type of clarity. For some individuals it is a sense that their identity is different from the gender category which they were born with or that it is something that lies outside of the usual male versus female categories. These individuals are known as transgender experiences. It is something that we are seeing more and more of in society today. Many of these transgender individuals come to terms with themselves and they find
Many people today aren’t being educated about the topic of sex and gender, and they’ll end up living naïve and ignorant lives, but for some it can even be harmful. For some, their sex and gender don’t match up and they will experience gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria can cause a lot of psychological problems for a person, especially if it isn’t treated. Unfortunately, because of the lack of sex and gender education, some people who experience gender dysphoria don’t even know its existence, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and maybe even
They know it will not change throughout life. Even though children begin to see the difference of male and females, children born boys may feel and identify as girls and girls may feel and identify as boys. Parents might dismiss their child’s claim as a simple phase because of the expectations they have about their sons and daughters. However it is not a phase. Gender dysphoria, also known as gender identity disorder, is a condition of feeling one’s emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to one’s biological sex. Children with gender dysphoria are affected both psychologically and sociologically; however, with the proper diagnosis and treatment parents will have the knowledge to properly bring up a child with gender dysphoria. Psychologically a child may have suicidal tendencies, be depressed, have emotional problems, and have high levels of stress and anxiety. Sociologically a child tends to be alone, tormented by peers and frightened of never being accepted by
Gender Dysphoria is described as “the condition of feeling one's emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to one's biological sex.” according to google.For me, it's knowing that during any moment there's a chance that I will experience some kind of dysphoria in relation to my body and expression. I've never really thought about my gender because I didn't have the vocabulary to describe how I felt. I identify as genderfluid; it took me all of high school to discover and accept this about myself. It wasn’t until one of my classmates came out as a non-binary trans boy, that I started to find the words to how I’ve been feeling.
Gender Dysphoria is one of the most important issues associated with problems people have with their gender identity. Aspects of Gender Dysphoria include
In this day and age, psychologists as well as the media have been giving Gender Identity Disorder or now known as Gender Dysphoria by DSM-V, a lot of publication. Whether the media stating it does not exist and psychologist stating it indeed does exist. As defined U.S. National Library of Medicine in medical terms, “Gender Dysphoria is a condition in which there is a conflict between a person 's physical gender and the gender he or she identifies with.” Other names for Gender Dysphoria are transgenderism or transexualism. Gender Dysphoria does indeed exist in this world because those whom are diagnosed are Transgender whom struggle on a day-to-day basis. That is, not being accepted by family and friends, denial of employment, and medical advancement for treatment with going through Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS).
Renee’s emotional symptoms of feeling trapped within her own body, cognitive symptoms of thinking her female sex characteristics were disgusting, behavioral symptoms which include cutting her hair short and wrapping her chest with ACE bandage, in addition to her physical symptoms of desiring to be a male all indicate that she is experiencing gender dysphoria (Gorenstein & Comer, 2016). The main treatments for gender dysphoria typically occur in steps, beginning with comprehensive evaluations and psychotherapy, followed by medicinal hormone therapy, and then gender confirmation surgery. The evaluations and psychotherapy the patient receives involves useful diagnostic techniques and education, and continues for the course of the patient’s treatment. The psychotherapy works toward alleviating any other comorbidities that may exist in the patient before going forward with treatment. The medicinal therapy involves hormones administered to the patient so that their exterior sex characteristics align with their expressed gender. Finally, patients who are ready to progress forward, gender confirmation surgery is the next
Gender identity disorder (GID) or transsexualism is defined by strong, persistent feelings of identification with the opposite gender and discomfort with one’s own assigned sex. (“Psychology Today”) Due to a recent change to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, “Gender Identity Disorder” will be replaced with “Gender Dysphoria”. For the purpose of this paper those two terms will be interchangeable. This paper will explore the symptoms that lead to a gender identity disorder diagnosis as well as the treatment process and obstacles a person with this disorder may face. It is a difficult process and is not something somebody would endure unless they truly
This paper will discuss issues dealing with the roles of biological factors, (nature), and environmental influences, (nurture), on sexual differentiation and gender identity. The author, Troy Stutsman, will evaluate and give a determination as to which has the greater influence on gender identity: nature or nurture. Also discussed will be the current arguments about sexual identity and how evidence from biopsychology which may help to resolve the argument.
However, studies have proven that many adolescents with Gender Identity Disorder grew up in families which at least at one time “cross-gender behavior was tolerated or encouraged, often viewed as ‘only a phase.” (Byrd 7)
This paper summarizes the criteria and research on Gender Dysphoria (GD). GD is a marked incongruence between one’s experienced or expressed gender and assigned gender, of at least six months’ duration. Gender Identity Disorder (GID) taken from the DSM-IV was replaced with GD in the DSM-V because there was nothing wrong with a gender’s identity and because there are more descriptions for the disorder. There is an emotional disturbance among gender dysphoric individuals as they are not happy with their identity or gender. Studies show that the mismatch of the gender causes distress and that sexual reassignment surgery is the most successful as effective treatments. This study will explore the significant factors affecting gender dysphoric children and adults through literature reviews. It will aim to identify treatment approaches and its outcome among the population.