Gender-affirming Care
MULTIDISCIPLINARY SERVICES OF GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE
Healthcare field
Service
Psychiatry
Exploration of gender identity, and support of mental health
Clinical psychology
Psychological support
Speech therapy (Speech-language pathology)
Gender-affirming voice and communication
Occupational therapy
Support of daily activities
Endocrinology
Gender-affirming hormones
Surgery (And/or urology, plastic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology)
Gender-affirming surgeries
Physiotherapy
Peri-operative physiotherapy
Mental health
Voice & communication
Clothings, makeup,
hairstyle, postures
Tucking, binding,
paddings/prostheses
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Hormones
Hair transplants & removal
Surgies
Peri-op physiotherapy
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
WHO endorsed the International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision (ICD-11) in 2019.
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Gender-affirming care can include "any single or combination of a number of social, psychological, behavioural or medical (including hormonal treatment or surgery) interventions designed to support and affirm an individual’s gender identity".
WORLD PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR TRANSGENDER HEALTH
Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People
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Gender-affirming care services are "safe and effective pathways to achieving lasting personal comfort with one's gendered selves with the aim of optimizing their overall physical health, psychological well-being, and self-fulfillment".
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"Health care systems should provide medically necessary gender-affirming health care for transgender and gender diverse people".
DEPATHOLOGIZATION
Being transgender and gender diverse are natural parts of human diversity, and are neither pathological nor negative.
Depathologization is notably stated in:
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Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), published by the American Psychiatric Association in 2022 (First published in DSM-5 in 2013).
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International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision (ICD-11), endorsed by WHO in 2019. Having a gender identity different from one’s assigned sex at birth, is termed as gender incongruence, included in the chapter “Conditions related to sexual health” of ICD-11.
The pathologizing term “gender identity disorder” has been abolished.
DEFINED BY GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE?
One’s gender identity, or being transgender and gender diverse, is not based upon receiving gender-affirming care. Appropriate and medically necessary healthcare is arranged according to one’s needs.