New WHO Diagnostic Labels Perpetuate Transgender Stigma

[Ativan Prescribed]

New WHO Diagnostic Labels Perpetuate Transgender Stigma 

The movement of the World Health Organization (WHO) to declassify transgender identity as a mental disorder is simultaneously a step forward in affirming the personhood of gender minority individuals, and a step backward in diagnoses that adequately reflect their health needs. The solutions posited by the WHO reveal the systemic influence of health insurance policies in defining not only medical disorders, but also social categories.

Currently, in the United States and abroad, in order to qualify for health insurance coverage for gender affirming surgery or hormone replacement therapy (HRT), mentally healthy transgender individuals must receive a diagnosis indicating a gender-related mental disorder based on either the WHO classification or the “gender dysphoria” diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). In the hopes of fostering greater acceptance while still satisfying insurers, after 25 years, the WHO is considering a new diagnostic category: “Conditions related to sexual health.”

According to Dr. Celia B. Fisher, Director of the Center for Ethics Education and Professor of Psychology at Fordham University, the new terminology, while well-intentioned, “runs the risk of perpetuating stereotypes that conflate gender identity and sexual orientation and lead to continued misclassification of transgender personhood as a sexual problem.”

[Trinity]

After all the shit we went through now this.

Fuck insurance driven healthcare choices.

I have to live full time female for surgery.

Others are paying out of pocket for top surgery cause they are nonbinary.

I thought healthcare was supposed to take care of patients, not be facist governments in themselves dictating your right to you body.


Grrrrr.

Doesnt take much to piss me off after the fight i had for my hormone shots.

T SJ P

[EchelonHunt]

While I'm glad being transgender has been dropped as a mental disorder, I didn't voice my concern at the time but I was concerned about what that meant for the diagnosis of gender dysphoria, whether it would still be classified as a condition that would still be covered by healthcare insurance. I know many in the States who have no choice but to use healthcare insurance to cover surgeries they couldn't otherwise afford.

As for it being called "Conditions related to sexual health" ... personally, I'm OK with that because it has to do with my physical body. It is male in my head, the problem isn't my mind (therefore, not a mental illness), it is physical - the genitalia. My current genitalia doesn't match up with what I perceive them to be. I have male genitalia nerve endings that are misfiring because there are no male genitalia attached there for them to react to.

They can call it whatever they want, as long as transgender people are able to receive treatment and access healthcare insurance for their needs. It would be a shame if transgender people were suddenly cut off from treatments or denied healthcare insurance from providers who previously accepted gender dysphoria cases. It wouldn't only be one step backwards, it would be several.

In the UK, the NHS is possibly being privatised in the future, further limiting transgender folks access to fully-covered surgeries... In Australia, they still deem it elective surgery and people either have to pay it out of pocket and only hospital fees get covered or fly overseas. Now this in the States? People possibly being denied access to treatment by healthcare insurance? Just awful.

[Deleted]

Look. I remember when being gay used to be a mental disorder and now it is just a part of human nature. Why? Because the numbers of homosexuals became too much to just explain away. We are gaining in numbers and becoming a lot more visible and less cloaked thanks to people like Jazz Jennings and her parents, Laverne Cox, Caitlyn Jenner, Bailey Jay and many others.

Dysphoria of any kind should be classified as a psychological condition. Any psychological condition should be a health issue too.

I don't have severe gender dysphoria because I really don't give a fuck how people think or what they think of me. The negativity they think about me then there are just as many negatives that I can think of them. Why should I let that bother me? I have no idea why I think this way but I wish I knew so I could let others in on the secret.  Maybe I just grew up with it? OMG Jazz Jennings is so lucky to have her parents. I mean I told mine the same stuff but I was still a fucking boy and boys didn't think that way.  Plus Damn it. Everyone thought I was my parents daughter anyway before puberty. I hated all the puberty shit but luckily cam out of it with a little extra up top and pretty much the same size below.  Back then it kind of fucked with me but that only lasted as long as I realized exactly who and what I was. That is when the bad dysphoria ended.

I am trans. I will never be cis and don't really even care to be because if I wasn't then that would take something away from who I grew to be. But I would like for trans to be recognized as a gender or at least three, MTF, FTM and NB and respected as such. But until that happens then fuck the haters.

OK so I do admit I hate ignorance and am so prejudice against ignorant people.