gender dysphoria

American  

[jen-der dis-fawr-ee-uh] / ˈdʒɛn dər dɪsˌfɔr i ə /

noun

1. a psychological condition marked by significant emotional distress and impairment in life functioning, caused by a lack of congruence between gender identity and sex assigned at birth.

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gender dysphoria British  

noun

1. a condition in which a person feels uncertainty or anxiety about his or her birth gender

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Sensitive Note

Some transgender individuals and their advocates object to the use of the word "disorder" to describe this condition and therefore reject use of the variant term gender identity disorder, which was once used more widely. However, others feel that classifying it as a disorder may facilitate access to medical care related to the condition.

Etymology

Origin of gender dysphoria

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The Belfast Health Trust runs the Brackenburn Clinic, based in south Belfast, which has a service for adults experiencing gender dysphoria.

From BBC

Mainstream U.S. medical associations have supported gender-affirming care for minors experiencing gender dysphoria for years.

From Los Angeles Times

The memo specified that military bases must identify service members diagnosed with or exhibiting symptoms of gender dysphoria.

From BBC

An investigation in Reuters found that, while more than 42,000 patients ages 6 to 17 were diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2021, just 1,390 of them received puberty blockers, while 4,231 received hormone therapy.

From Slate

The requirements are fairly high: Gender dysphoria must be persistent and long-felt, not something that developed in response to a trauma or impending puberty; patients with psychological issues like bipolar disorder or neurodevelopmental disorders like autism were generally not considered good candidates; patients must have been under the consistent and monthslong care of a trained therapist and would continue getting therapy throughout their treatment; patients must have the support of their families.

From Slate