Week 5: Gender Dysphoria
DSM-5 Gender Dysphoria
Terminology
Concept Definition
Sex/Sexual Refers to the biological indicators of male and female – understood in the
context of reproductive capacity
Such as in sex chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, and non-ambiguous
internal and external genitalia
Disorders of Sex Denote conditions of inborn somatic deviations of the reproductive tract from
Development the norm – and/or discrepancies among the biological indicators of male and
female
Cross-Sex Hormone Denotes the use of feminizing hormones in an individual assigned male at
Treatment birth based on traditional biological indicators
Or the use of masculinizing hormones in one assigned female at birth
Gender Used to denote the public lived role as boy or girl, man or woman
Biological factors are seen as contributing – in interaction with social and
psychological factors – to gender development
Gender Assignment Refers to the initial assignment as male or female
Gender-Atypical Refers to somatic features or behaviors that are not typical of individuals
with the same assigned gender in a given society
For behavior – gender-nonconforming is an alternative term
Gender Reassignment Refers to the official change of gender
Gender Identity A category of social identity – refers to an individual’s identification as male,
female, or other
Gender Dysphoria A general descriptive term
Refers to an individual’s affective/cognitive discontent with the assigned
gender
More specifically defined when used as a diagnostic category
Transgender Refers to the broad spectrum of individuals who transiently or persistently
, identify with a gender different from their natal gender
Transsexual Denotes an individual who seeks – or has undergone – a social transition
from male to female or female to male
In many cases also involves a somatic transition by cross-sex hormone
treatment and sex reassignment surgery
Sex Reassignment Surgery A genital surgery
Gender Identity Disorder Focuses on dysphoria as the clinical problem – not identity per se
Diagnostic Criteria
Gender Dysphoria in Children
Gender Dysphoria in Adolescents and Adults
, Associated Features Supporting Diagnosis
When visible signs of puberty develop – natal boys may shave their legs at the first signs of
hair growth
- They sometimes bind their genitals – to make erections less visible
Girls – may (1) bind their breasts, (2) walk with a stoop, or (3) use loose sweaters to make
breasts less visible
Adolescents
Increasingly – adolescents request or may obtain without medical prescription and
supervision:
DSM-5 Gender Dysphoria
Terminology
Concept Definition
Sex/Sexual Refers to the biological indicators of male and female – understood in the
context of reproductive capacity
Such as in sex chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, and non-ambiguous
internal and external genitalia
Disorders of Sex Denote conditions of inborn somatic deviations of the reproductive tract from
Development the norm – and/or discrepancies among the biological indicators of male and
female
Cross-Sex Hormone Denotes the use of feminizing hormones in an individual assigned male at
Treatment birth based on traditional biological indicators
Or the use of masculinizing hormones in one assigned female at birth
Gender Used to denote the public lived role as boy or girl, man or woman
Biological factors are seen as contributing – in interaction with social and
psychological factors – to gender development
Gender Assignment Refers to the initial assignment as male or female
Gender-Atypical Refers to somatic features or behaviors that are not typical of individuals
with the same assigned gender in a given society
For behavior – gender-nonconforming is an alternative term
Gender Reassignment Refers to the official change of gender
Gender Identity A category of social identity – refers to an individual’s identification as male,
female, or other
Gender Dysphoria A general descriptive term
Refers to an individual’s affective/cognitive discontent with the assigned
gender
More specifically defined when used as a diagnostic category
Transgender Refers to the broad spectrum of individuals who transiently or persistently
, identify with a gender different from their natal gender
Transsexual Denotes an individual who seeks – or has undergone – a social transition
from male to female or female to male
In many cases also involves a somatic transition by cross-sex hormone
treatment and sex reassignment surgery
Sex Reassignment Surgery A genital surgery
Gender Identity Disorder Focuses on dysphoria as the clinical problem – not identity per se
Diagnostic Criteria
Gender Dysphoria in Children
Gender Dysphoria in Adolescents and Adults
, Associated Features Supporting Diagnosis
When visible signs of puberty develop – natal boys may shave their legs at the first signs of
hair growth
- They sometimes bind their genitals – to make erections less visible
Girls – may (1) bind their breasts, (2) walk with a stoop, or (3) use loose sweaters to make
breasts less visible
Adolescents
Increasingly – adolescents request or may obtain without medical prescription and
supervision:
