The American Psychological Association states that they recognize that gender nonconformity itself is not a mental disorder and what makes it a disorder is the presence of significant distress associated with the condition. As we have learned in class, something becomes diagnosed if it interferes with the patient’s everyday life. Gender Dysphoria has to be present for 6 or more months in order to be diagnosed and there must be a “marked difference between the individuals expressed/experienced gender and the genders others would assign him or her (DSM-V, APA).” Gender Dysphoria was added to the DSM-V as an effort to remove some stigma associated with the diagnosis. Previously called “Gender Identity Disorder,” Gender Dysphoria is “intended to …show more content…
Without a diagnosis, an insurance company will not take the claim and then the patient has to pay out of pocket. One of the main arguments for keeping gender dysphoria as a diagnosis is that Gender Dysphoria allows for people who need the therapy and help to have that as an option (APA). The DSM-V revamped the name in order to steer away from the concept as a disorder, but rather an experience. Because it is still in the DSM with a code, patients are able to be officially diagnosed by a doctor and learn about their options. Options may include counseling and therapy, hormone treatments, and sex reassignment surgery, which ideally should be covered by insurance companies because of their high costs. Removing the diagnosis would place a large financial burden on people who are experiencing this and choose to undergo treatment or therapy. It would also disproportionately affect those who cannot afford to pay out of …show more content…
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) recommends that inmates be treated as individuals in the community (Reflections on the Legal Battles). After lawsuits and recommendations, prisons are developing ways to assist the inmates who request treatment of their gender dysphoria condition through name and pronoun change, access to feminine attire, estrogenic compounds, facial hair removal, and sex reassignment surgery. In order for an inmate to be granted permission to these treatments, they have to be diagnosed and recommend by a mental health professional. For that reason, keeping Gender Dysphoria as a diagnosis is important.
In conclusion, keeping Gender Dysphoria as a diagnosis aids the most vulnerable population in seeking treatment and care, options, protection, and guidance. As society and medicine moves forward, we may be able to steer away from mental health bias and general discrimination towards non-conformity, but for now it is important to protect the patients who are helped by the diagnosis. Gender Dysphoria currently allows patients to be treated under their insurance, have access to care, and fight for their
The medicalization of transgender tendencies, under what was Gender Identity Disorder, was demoralizing to all transgender people. This resulted in a form of structured and institutionalized inequality that made an entire group of people internalize their problems, making them question not only their own identity, but also their sanity. Therefore, the removal of this disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 2013 and the newest editions was important in that it shows society’s recognition and acceptance of the transgender
What is Gender Dysphoria? A clinical definition may be, “The condition of feeling one 's emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to one 's biological sex.” There is a growing amount of scientific research that suggests gender identity develops at a very early age. So, what are the ethical considerations of gender-reassignment treatments for minors suffering from gender dysphoria? Children can be diagnosed with GD as early as age five. Following, most girls start puberty when they are between the ages of eight and thirteen years old. Then, most boys start puberty when they are between the ages of ten and fifteen years old.
Gender Dysphoria was previously referred to as Gender Identity Disorder or transsexuals and is characterized by “a marked incongruence between one’s experienced or expressed gender and one’s assigned gender as a male or female” (Sue, Sue, Sue and Sue, 2014, p. 363). Using an article written for the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing (2012), “Gender Dysphoria in Children: Let’s Think This Through” written by Hein and Kathrene Berger, and our text, “Invitation to the Lifespan (2014)” by Kathleen Stassen Berger, we will expand upon the effects of what was proposed in the article and it would affect a child. Although highly controversial, Hein and Berger argue against diagnosing a child with GD providing several key points, while
In the year 2012, an individual by the name of Victoria Ramirez was transitioning from a male to a female using hormones and also switching up her appearance to match more of a female’s. Victoria, who at the time used to go by Tyson, is a transgender person. She has worked at Barnes and Noble from the years 2007 to 2013. During her most recent years while she was struggling with the transition, she felt absolutely humiliated by her employer. Her manager would tell her that her makeup or appearance was upsetting the customers and would also make other employees lose respect for her. Then, the final blow was denying Victoria of using the women’s restroom, or even wearing a skirt. (NY Daily) She was later fired for calling off too many times for
Mental health professional have tried to correct their ‘‘gender identity disorder’’ with brutal aversion therapies. Tran’s youth who came out often faced crises throughout their family and social systems. Once out, developing a sense of realness about their new gender became extremely important. An urgent need develops ‘‘to match one’s exterior with one’s interior’’ In ad...
With the “Orange Is the New Black” star, Laverne Cox being transgender and permitted to play a vivid character as “Sophia”, Caitlyn Jenner’s announcement on the Diane Sawyer interview in 2015, and the arsenal of social media, being non-cisgender (not the gender assigned at birth) in general, has been discussed more than ever. Due to the Internet’s broadness, people who met this classification are unraveling new identities such as non-binary and genderqueer (only people who are this can say this word as “queer” is a slur). Being cisgender is the norm in society. I am also non-cisgender and this is an unique thing that possessed many scars.
Phillips, J. (2012, September 28). Gender Identity Disorder in Prison: Depending on a Diagnosis That is soon to Disappear? Retrieved October 4, 2013, from PSYCHIATRIC TIMES: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/gender-disorders/content/article/10168/2105073
According to the textbook, the term Gender Dysphoria means “biological sex and gender identity do not match, thus leading to distress and impairment” (Chapter 8, pg.279). The textbook also discusses how “children with Gender Dysphoria is apparent in repeated statements that the child wants to be the opposite sex or is the opposite sex; cross-dressing in clothing stereotypical of the other sex and how the child has persistent fantasies of being the opposite sex such as; pretend play or activities associated with the opposite sex” (Chapter 8, pg. 279). However; the textbook also mentions how “people with gender dysphoria have persisted discomfort with their own sex” (Chapter 8, pg. 279).
Transsexuals see themselves as an actual man or women. The don’t realized that no matter what they do to change their sex, some in society will still see them as that man or women their were born as . For society, the topic of reverse gender is complex with various emotions. Moreover, individuals frequently marked them as misfits, not understanding the genuine essence of being man or woman. There are many arguments that state, psychological disorders do not change a person gender, no matter how trapped they might seem, as
In all these stages in life, there can be isolation, hiding and secrets, which may lead to depression and anxiety. Transgender adults are much more likely to have suicidal thoughts, with 50% of adults reporting some suicidal ideation. It has been observed that there are two paths that people take early on: either one tries to hide their inner feeling of being the wrong gender and “passes” for what looks like a boy or girl, or one is incapable of hiding and presents as either a tom-boyish girl or a feminine boy. Either path comes with problems for one’s emotional development. The second scenario is that a person may opt to present as gender non-conforming and is known to elicit harsh responses from society. This is true for non-transgender
It is important to understand the difference between gender and sex. The English language defines “sex” by using the anatomy that an individual is born with. In other words, the reproductive organs that makes someone female or male. “Sex” also includes the chromosomes that someone obtains to make them male or female, the different gonads, sex hormones and the inner and outer genitalia. When defining gender dysphoria and its connection to sex. Within the gender dysphoria disorder, which is a sex disorder, there are other developments that affect the normal and natural indications of each sex assignments. The use of “cross-sex” hormones, are very popular when someone is trying to masculinize or feminize the individuals original gender.
Clinically speaking, a person who was assigned female at birth but identifies and lives as a man is referred to as a transsexual man, or transman, or female-to-male (FTM); a male-to-female (MTF) person is a transsexual woman or transwoman (Glicksman). Some people drop the transgender label after they have transitioned to their new gender. However, they want to be referred to only as a man or a woman. But what if our gender identity, our sense of being a boy or being a girl, does not match our physical body? From a very early age we will start to feel increasingly uncomfortable. For some this is a mild discomfort, for others it is so traumatic they would rather die than continue to live in the wrong body. Unfortunately as transsexual people are a small minority of the population the condition has been labeled by Psychiatrists as "Gender Identity Disorder". With the transgendered, the disordered assumption is that the
Levine, S. B. (1990). THE STANDARDS OF CARE FOR GENDER IDENTITY DISORDERS. HARRY BENJAMIN INTERNATIONAL GENDER DYSPHORIA ASSOCIATION.
I believe that Gender Identity Disorder or gender dysphoria is a complicated physiological disorder that can be affected by the variety of things including the chemical makeup from person to person. We should treat the disorder as such and respect the people suffering from the disorder enough to try to solve the underlying cause, not just the outward symptom. I believe that this disorder can be treated through therapy and hormone therapy to establish hormonal and chemical balance within someone. I view gender reassignment surgery, unless for the benefit of the physical health of the patient, to be a complete waste of medical resources and to be an idea that has been glorified through the media as not only acceptable but as courageous; while the drawbacks of the surgery and the poor results are downplayed or ignored. I also believe that by making gender reassignments available we are “playing god” and taking physical alteration too far. Taking a physically healthy person and performing an entire change of identity because he or she is uncomfortable with the way he or she looks teaches people to be intolerant of problems instead of pushing through them and supports fighting the very way we were created. Lastly, with such alarming rates of people who ultimately were unhappy with their physical appearance and emotional state following the surgery, there doesn’t seem to be a countervailing benefit to
...one comes to the realization that gender identity and sexual orientation are two different issues it is easier to look at the scientific research that GID is indeed a disorder one is born with, whether from genitals that are not completely developed at birth, being born with both male and female genitals, or the impact of prenatal hormones on prenatal brains. GID is not “curable” or managed with medication or psychotherapy any more than someone born missing a limb because it is in one’s deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA, make-up. When taking sexual orientation, which is a choice, out of the equation one can conclude chromosomes during fetal development can be impacted by genetic abnormalities or hormone imbalances; therefore, the belief that gender identity is a conscious choice or a result of environment is inconclusive and only caused by caused during fetal development.