Gender Dysphoria

Some transgender persons may experience "gender dysphoria" which refers to the "psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one's sex assigned at birth and one's gender identity". Gender dysphoria often starts in childhood, some experience it after puberty or many years later.

The DSM-5-TR defines gender dysphoria as an incongruence between one’s experienced gender and their assigned gender. It lasts at least six months and is manifested by at least two of the following criteria: 

A marked incongruence between one’s experienced/expressed gender and primary and/or secondary sex characteristics (or in young adolescents, the anticipated secondary sex characteristics) 

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 (or in young adolescents, a desire to prevent the development of the anticipated secondary sex characteristics) 

A strong desire for the primary and/or secondary sex characteristics of the other gender 

A strong desire to be of the other gender (or some alternative gender different from one’s assigned gender) 

A strong desire to be treated as the other gender (or some alternative gender different from one’s assigned gender) 

A strong conviction that one has the typical feelings and reactions of the other gender (or some alternative gender different from one’s assigned gender) (literally via).

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photograph by Bruce Gilden via