What is Gender Dysphoria? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Gender dysphoria is defined as incongruence between one’s birth sex and the gender with which they identify or present. A person experiencing gender dysphoria may be clinically diagnosed with gender dysphoria when this mismatch causes significant distress, discomfort, or anxiety to the individual. Gender dysphoria may be referred to as transgenderism, transsexualism, or gender identity disorder (GID). GID was formerly classified as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) but has since been reclassified as gender dysphoria because it does not have any inherent mental-health component. Key facts about gender dysphoria Gender dysphoria is a condition in which a person's gender identity conflicts with the sex assigned at birth. It causes intense discomfort or distress. A person may be unhappy with the male or female gender roles associated with his or her biological sex. They may identify as transgender--having a gender identity that doesn...