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Gender dysphoria is no longer considered a mental health condition

Gender dysphoria is no longer considered a mental health condition by the World Health Organization and is renamed gender incongruence instead

  • The agency yesterday released its new International Classification of Diseases
  • In the document, it removed gender dysphoria as a mental health disorder
  • The term has now been renamed gender incongruence by the WHO 
  • Chiefs listed video game addiction as a mental health disorder in the same move

Gender dysphoria is no longer considered as a mental disorder by the World Health Organization.

The UN agency yesterday released its latest edition of the International Classification of Diseases.

In the document, it removed the term gender dysphoria as a mental health disorder – and renamed it as gender incongruence.  

Chiefs also listed video game addiction as a mental health condition for the first time in the same landmark move.

Trans advocates yesterday hailed the WHO’s monumental decision for people who feel they were born in the wrong body.  

It is estimated that one per cent of the population is affected by gender dysphoria. Caitlyn Jenner is the most famous person to have changed genders.

Sally Goldner, a spokesperson for Transgender Victoria – an organization that fights for the rights of trans people, told Gay Star News: ‘It is huge.  

‘It’s big because a big powerful organization is sending an affirming message saying being trans is part of human diversity rather than pathologizing us.’ 

What is gender dysphoria? 

Gender dysphoria is the term for when a person’s emotional and psychological identity is different to their physical form.


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It is estimated that one per cent of the population is affected somehow. Caitlyn Jenner is the most famous person to have changed genders.

HAS THE NHS OPENED THE DOOR FOR A RANGE OF MORE TRANSGENDER TREATMENTS? 

A health service chief opened the door for a range of more transgender treatments earlier this month.

Dr James Palmer said the NHS may provide facial hair removal, breast reduction, and even reversing gender reassignment surgeries.

There has been an ‘explosion’ in the number of children seeking a sex swap which may ‘accelerate’ if plans to expand publicly funded operations go ahead, NHS England’s medical director for specialised services said. 

The move came as two thirds of NHS trusts were found to be denying cataract operations to patients in desperate need of the life-changing surgery.

Dr Palmer told the Westminster Social Policy Forum that referrals for gender dysphoria have increased by around 240 per cent over the last five year period. 

The former Olympian and reality TV star underwent the surgery in January 2017, nearly two years after announcing she would transition to a woman.

In the ICD-11, the WHO created new categories that cover trans identities under conditions that relate to sexual health.

Gender dysphoria once was considered a personality or behaviour disorder. But its definition has changed as it is now called gender incongruence.

It is described as ‘characterised by a marked and persistent incongruence between an individual’s experienced gender and the assigned sex’. 

Video game addiction 

The WHO’S decision to list compulsive gaming as a disorder was welcomed by many who agree that it is easy to become addicted to the virtual world. 

The body has not put daily or weekly limits on what it regards as ‘problematic gaming’.

It described addiction to video games as a ‘pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour’, which becomes so extensive it takes precedence over other interests.

And it pointed to studies that suggest that gaming disorder affects between two and three per cent of people who play video games. 

The updated ICD is scheduled to be presented to all WHO member states at their annual assembly in May 2019. 

It is aimed the new classifications will come into effect in 2022, to allow countries time to plan and prepare medics.

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