What is gender dysphoria? Thanks for asking!

Gender dysphoria describes the unease that people can feel when there is a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity. So for example a person with male genitals and facial hair might not identify as a man. This unease can cause depression and anxiety in some cases, and have a real impact on a person’s daily life.

How is this label different from more commonly used terms like transidentity?

The term transsexualism, which appeared in the 1950s, was used for almost everything until recently. In medical jargon, it has gradually been replaced. In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association included it in its list of mental illnesses, as a psychosexual disorder. In 2013, it clarified that gender dysphoria itself wasn’t a mental disorder, but that its main characteristic was the resulting discomfort. It’s important to recognise that not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria, as they may feel perfectly at ease with their bodies. In recent years, there’s been a shift in terminology, with gender dysphoria increasingly being used instead of other long-standing terms like “identity disorder” or “transidentity”. And yet, the term itself isn’t new! The notion emerged in 1973, around the time when gender studies were developing. It was coined in the United States by psychiatrist Norman Fisk and plastic surgeon Donald Laub.

What can people with gender dysphoria suffer from? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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