Gender Dysphoria

Gender Dysphoria

Individuals with gender dysphoria have a marked incongruence between the gender they have been assigned to (usually at birth, referred to as natal gender) and their experienced/expressed gender. This discrepancy is the core component of the diagnosis.

Features

Gender dysphoria manifests itself differently in different age groups. Prepubertal natal girls with gender dysphoria may express the wish to be a boy, assert they are a boy, or assert they will grow up to be a man. They prefer boys' clothing and hairstyles, are often perceived by strangers as boys, and may ask to be called by a boy's name. Usually, they display intense negative reactions to parental attempts to have them wear dresses or other feminine attire. The opposite can be observed with boys as well.

Symptoms

In children, these symptoms may include:

• Consistently saying they are really a girl even though they have the physical traits of a boy or really a boy if they have the physical traits of a girl
• Strongly preferring friends of the sex with which they identify
• Rejecting the clothes, toys, and games typical for boys or girls
• Refusing to urinate in the way -- standing or sitting -- that other boys or girls typically do
• Saying they want to get rid of their genitals and have the genitals of their true sex
• Believing that even though they have the physical traits of a girl they will grow up to be a man; or believing if they have the physical traits of a boy they will still be a woman when they grow up
• Having extreme distress about the body changes that happen during puberty

In teens and adults, symptoms may include:

• Certainty that their true gender is not aligned with their body.
• Disgust with their genitals. They may avoid showering, changing clothes, or having sex in order to avoid seeing or touching their genitals.
• Strong desire to be rid of their genitals and other sex traits.

Diagnosis

1.     A marked incongruence between one’s experienced/expressed gender and primary and/or secondary sex characteristics

2.     A strong desire to be rid of one’s primary and/or secondary sex characteristics because of a marked incongruence with one’s experienced/expressed gender

3.     A strong desire to be treated as the other gender

4.     The condition is associated with clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

4.

Treatment

The goal is not to change how the person feels about his or her gender. Instead, the goal is to deal with the distress that may come with those feelings.
Talking with a psychologist or psychiatrist is part of any treatment for gender dysphoria. "Talk" therapy is one way to address the mental health issues that this condition can cause.