Treatment FAQ

what is appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition

by Vivianne Renner Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Clinical treatment methods are outlined in the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care, and treatment can include psychotherapy, changes in gender expression and role, hormone therapy, or surgery, or any combination thereof.

How do I start transitional medical treatment for transgender people?

Hormone regimes for transgender men (female to men, FTM) 1. Oral Testosterone undecanoate* 160–240mg/day 2. Parenterally (i.m. or subcutaneous) Testosterone enanthate or cypionate 50–200mg/week or 100–200mg/2 weeks Testosterone undecanoate 1000 mg/12 weeks 3. Transdermal Testosterone 1% gel 2.5 – 10 g/day Testosterone patch 2.5 – 7.5 mg/day

How can therapy help transgender and gender nonconforming individuals?

For trans women, medical transitioning may include any of the following [2]: · hormone therapy (to create feminine characteristics, such as less body hair, softer skin, and breast growth) · laser hair removal (to remove hair from face and body) · tracheal shave (to make the Adam’s apple smaller)

What are the treatment options for gender identity disorder?

The phrase “appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition” is meant to capture a range of treatments that may be appropriate, in each individual case, to facilitate gender transition. Clinical treatment methods are outlined in the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care, and treatment can include psychotherapy, changes in gender expression …

What is the best hormone therapy for transgender adolescents?

Aug 03, 2020 · Hormone therapy is another option for treating gender dysphoria, and it can be helpful either as a stand-alone therapy or in combination with other treatments. Hormone therapy is also recommended...

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Which therapy is most preferred for gender dysphoria?

Hormone therapy for adults

It's important to remember that hormone therapy is only one of the treatments for gender dysphoria. Others include voice therapy and psychological support. The decision to have hormone therapy will be taken after a discussion between you and your clinic team.

What are the medical protocols for gender reassignment?

Medical treatment
  • Hormone therapy, such as feminizing hormone therapy or masculinizing hormone therapy.
  • Surgery, such as feminizing surgery or masculinizing surgery to change the chest, external genitalia, internal genitalia, facial features and body contour.
Feb 26, 2022

Can gender dysphoria be treated with medication?

Approach Considerations. Modalities that may be considered in the treatment of gender dysphoria include pharmacologic therapy, psychological and other nonpharmacologic therapies, and sexual reassignment surgery (SRS).

What are gender affirming therapies?

Gender Affirming Therapy is a therapeutic stance that focuses on affirming a patient's gender identity and does not try to “repair” it.

What is medically necessary hormone therapy?

Hormone replacement therapy may aid in redistributing body fat to different parts of the body and accelerate or slow body hair growth. The hormone estrogen can produce breast tissue and halt sperm production, and testosterone tends to stop menstruation and increase sex drive.Jun 20, 2018

Can you change your gender without surgery?

As for other forms of identification, Dr. Becky Allison, a transgender cardiologist who compiled the list of laws, said passport officials allow gender changes without requiring surgery, as do most state departments of motor vehicles.Nov 29, 2006

What age can you start hormone therapy?

If used in an adolescent, hormone therapy typically begins at age 16. Ideally, treatment starts before the development of secondary sex characteristics so that teens can go through puberty as their identified gender. Many trans girls are treated with a medication to delay the start of puberty.Mar 18, 2021

Can gender dysphoria be a phase?

Gender dysphoria in children and adolescents is not a phase.Apr 20, 2017

Does CBT work for gender dysphoria?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been established as an effective form of treatment for social anxiety disorder. It is recommended that therapists modify and adapt CBT when working with minority groups such as transgender youth to ensure that the treatment is efficacious and culturally sensitive.Feb 1, 2018

What is affirmation surgery?

Gender affirmation surgeries, also known as gender confirmation surgeries, are performed by a multispecialty team that typically includes board-certified plastic surgeons. The goal is to give transgender individuals the physical appearance and functional abilities of the gender they know themselves to be.

How do you affirm gender identity?

Encourage and affirm self-identification
  1. Use "updated" in the place of "preferred" when referring to a name transition.
  2. Use "pronouns" in place of "preferred pronouns."
  3. Do NOT assume gender or pronouns.
  4. Introduce yourself with your pronouns. ...
  5. If you do introductions, suggest that individuals say their names and pronouns.

What are the treatment options for gender dysphoria?

Treatment options might include changes in gender expression and role, hormone therapy, surgery, and behavioral therapy. If you have gender dysphoria, seek help from a doctor who has expertise in the care of transgender people.

Does behavioral therapy help with gender dysphoria?

Behavioral therapy isn't intended to alter your gender identity. Instead, therapy can help you explore gender concerns and find ways to lessen gender dysphoria.

What is gender dysphoria?

Gender dysphoria involves feelings of distress due to a strong desire to be of another gender than the one assigned and by the extent and pervasiveness of gender-variant activities and interests.

Is surgery necessary for gender dysphoria?

Treatments are based on your goals, as well as an evaluation of the risks and benefits of medication use, the presence of any other conditions, and consideration of your social and economic issues. Many people also find that surgery is necessary to relieve their gender dysphoria.

What is the procedure to change breasts?

Surgery, such as feminizing surgery or masculinizing surgery to change the breasts or chest, external genitalia, internal genitalia, facial features, and body contouring. Some people use hormone therapy to seek maximum feminization or masculinization.

What is a pretreatment medical evaluation?

A pretreatment medical evaluation is done by a doctor with experience and expertise in transgender and intersex care before hormonal and surgical treatment of gender dysphoria.

What is transgender transition?

Transgender is defined as individuals whose social or psychological gender identity is different than their sex assigned at birth. [2] Transitioning isn’t necessarily medical. It can involve changing one’s name or one’s pronouns. It can involve changing the way one dresses.

What is transitioning in medical?

Medical transitioning can involve medical treatments (hormones) and can involve surgery. Experts agree that there is not one “right” way to transition. Transitioning can involve any combination of these changes or it can be any change that allows someone to more comfortably present to the world. [2] .

What is the definition of transgender?

Samantha Newman, National Center for Health Research. The focus of this article is medical transitioning from male to female, the process by which transgender individuals change the way they look so that their physical characteristics match the gender they feel. [2] . Transgender is defined as individuals whose social or psychological gender ...

Is there a right way to transition?

Medical transitioning can involve medical treatments (hormones) and can involve surgery. Experts agree that there is not one “right” way to transition.

What is the most important thing about transition?

What is most important is that someone’s transition process reflects their needs and what works best for them and their body. [1] . While there are many social ways to transition, such as coming out to friends, using different pronouns, or using a different name, this article will specifically examine the medical treatment options in ...

What is gender dysphoria?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, a gender dysphoria diagnosis is when a person’s physical or assigned gender does not match the gender they feel. [23] . Most doctors will not offer most medical transitioning options unless the individual has this diagnosis.

Do you need a mental health professional for facial feminization?

Most doctors will not offer most medical transitioning options unless the individual has this diagnosis. However, some medical procedures, such as facial feminization surgery or laser hair removal, do not require meeting with a mental health professional beforehand.

Does NCTE encourage gender transition?

In fact, NCTE encourages you and your provider to only state in the letter that you have had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition. Details about surgery, hormone treatment, or other treatments are unnecessary and not helpful.

Who must a transition letter come from?

If you use a physician letter, it must come from a licensed physician with whom you have a patient relationship and who is familiar with your transition-related treatment . (This may be any physician who is familiar with your treatment, including a primary care physician or a specialist.)

Does SSA keep data on gender?

However, SSA maintains information in its computer records on everyone who has a Social Security number, including name, date of birth, and gender. Aggregated data about gender and other demographic factors from SSA records is used for statistical and research purposes. In addition, as discussed below, SSA gender data is still used ...

Can SSA ignore gender mismatch?

So long as the other personal data matches with SSA records, the organization can simply ignore the gender mismatch.

Does a social security card show gender?

Your Social Security card only lists your name and Social Security number – not your gender. However, SSA maintains information in its computer records on everyone who has a Social Security number, including name, date of birth, and gender. Aggregated data about gender and other demographic factors from SSA records is used for statistical ...

Can trans people get gender affirming care?

While all of these procedures are options for trans youth, not all trans people seek gender-affirming care. Some people may seek all of the treatments above — like HRT and surgery — once they hit the appropriate age. Others trans minors seek some of these treatments, and some don't seek any treatment at all. Weissman-Ward told Insider the idea that ...

How old do you have to be to have gender affirming surgery?

Gender-affirming surgeries – which refer to a variety of procedures – are extremely rare for anyone under the age of 18. This is because doctors want to wait until a person's body is developed enough to perform these kinds of surgeries.

Is it normal for a child to come out as transgender?

There is no "normal" time for a child to come out as trans, as this can depend on family support, school life, and a number of outside factors. However, studies have shown when trans children grow up in supportive households, they can understand their own gender as young as three or four.

Can a transgender child have voice deepening?

The body hair, breast growth, or voice deepening can be traumatic for trans kids and make their gender dysphoria far worse. Puberty blockers allow medical providers to pause the process and give trans kids more time to think about what they need next, without any side effects in the long term.

What is the purpose of puberty blockers?

Puberty blockers allow medical providers to pause the process and give trans kids more time to think about what they need next, without any side effects in the long term. If a teen later decides they want to move on to the next step in their process around 16 or 17, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be prescribed.

How long do gender issues last?

Furthermore, you must have at least two of the following symptoms, and they must last for at least six months.

What is your experience of gender?

Your experienced or expressed gender is the gender you feel inside. It's aligned with the gender roles that feel right to you. And it's the gender that society associates with the types of behavior that you feel natural doing.

Is gender dysphoria a mental illness?

And in the sense that mental illness indicates an abnormal way of thinking, feeling, or behaving, gender dysphoria really can't be considered a mental illness. Again, it's important to remember that it's the distress or dysphoric experience of being transgender, making it a mental problem.

What does it mean when you want to be the other gender?

You have a deep desire to have the primary or secondary characteristics of another gender. You strongly want to be the other gender. You want others to treat you as the other gender. You feel confident that you behave and react the same as people of the other gender usually do.

What is gender dysphoria?

Gender dysphoria is a condition that can cause significant distress. The first step to relieving your fears or discomfort is to find out if you have the symptoms of gender dysphoria. If you do, you can move on to seeking mental health help for diagnosis and treatment.

What happens if you don't identify with your gender?

And, gender identity disorder gives the impression that you need to think, feel, and behave as society expects you to because of your assigned gender. That's why the DSM 5 changed the name and criteria for diagnosis.

Overview

This gender-affirming treatment uses female hormones to create a more feminine appearance. Feminizing hormone therapy may be used as a standalone treatment or combined with gender affirmation surgery.

Procedure Details

The timing is up to you and your healthcare provider. Some people affirm their new gender identity first by changing their names and dressing differently. But this isn’t a requirement.

Recovery and Outlook

Many transwomen find relief from gender dysphoria with this type of therapy. Having physical attributes that match your gender identity can ease anxiety and depression. Transwomen also have improved self-esteem and self-image. These factors contribute to a better quality of life.

When to Call the Doctor

Certain side effects of estrogen and anti-androgens can be a sign of complications. Some can become severe or need immediate medical attention.

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Diagnosis

Treatment

  • Treatment can help people who have gender dysphoria explore their gender identity and find the gender role that feels comfortable for them, easing distress. However, treatment should be individualized. What might help one person might not help another. Treatment options might include changes in gender expression and role, hormone therapy, surgery, ...
See more on mayoclinic.org

Clinical Trials

  • Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
See more on mayoclinic.org

Coping and Support

  • Gender dysphoria can be lessened by supportive environments and knowledge about treatment to reduce the difference between your inner gender identity and sex assigned at birth. Social support from family, friends and peers can be a protective factor against developing depression, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, anxiety or high-risk behaviors. Other options for support include: 1. …
See more on mayoclinic.org

Preparing For Your Appointment

  • You may start by seeing your primary care provider. Or you may be referred to a behavioral health professional. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.
See more on mayoclinic.org

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