All about that... gender dysphoria

By definition sexual identity is how one thinks of oneself in terms of to whom one is romantically or sexually attracted. It may be also considered in terms of sexual orientation identity. Gender identity refers to one's personal experience of one's own gender. It means that gender identity is about how people experience their assigned sex at birth. There are few possibilities to experience one's gender. We can experience it according to what our first and secondary sexual characteristics are. Our experience can, however, vary significantly. in that case, we're talking about gender dysphoria. The earlier name of this phenomenon was gender identity disorder, however, its perception changed and, consequently, the nomenclature also changed.

Gender Identity disorder

The name of the gender identity disorder implied the recognition of gender superiority over sex. However, it is not feeling as a person of a given sex, but having specific sexual characteristics, is considered by patients in the problem category. The name gender dysphoria allows rejecting thinking about this phenomenon in terms of a disorder, thus creating a place for thinking about it as the difference between the sexual characteristics and the gender identity of the person.
Gender is a much broader concept than sex. Sex can be considered in terms of sexual characteristics and hormones. Gender, on the other hand, is the image of oneself in society in the context of sexual functioning. Through sexual functioning, we mean functioning as a person of a given sex, fulfilling a specific gender role.
Gender role is a way of behaving. In a given culture is perceived as typical or acceptable for a given gender (different for men and women). Some of these behaviours stem from biological conditions, while others are the result of cultural expectations or social pressure.

In summary, sexual identification is related to sexual orientation, gender identification is related to how the individual experience his own gender within society.

Where is the problem?

To understand the topic we must start here. Many transsexual people do not feel mentally disturbed, because their problem is not in the disturbed psyche, but the perceived discomfort between the body and the psyche. Therefore, new diagnostic criteria were created.

DSM V: F64.9 Gender dysphoria

It lasts at least six months and is shown by at least two of the following:

1. A marked incongruence between one’s experienced/expressed gender and primary and/or secondary sex characteristics
2. A strong desire to be rid of one’s primary and/or secondary sex characteristics
3. A strong desire for the primary and/or secondary sex characteristics of the other gender
4. A strong desire to be of the other gender
5. A strong desire to be treated as the other gender
6. A strong conviction that one has the typical feelings and reactions of the other gender

The new criteria are much better suited to the current way of thinking about gender identity and related problems. The most important merit is the lack of stigmatization, that the gender identity disorder presents in the name. The paramount concern is shifted from the mental problem to the problem of maladjustment of the biological aspect to developmental and social. With the issue thus understood, one can not ignore the age-old dilemma...

Nature vs. Nurture

The dispute concerns many issues of psychology and sexology. We are not able to unambiguously answer this question. However, we can look for links between them and find common points that determine the specific sexual development of the individual. We do not know how genetic factors affect the development of gender identity and whether they influence at all. However, there are studies (Green, 2002) reporting the existence of a sex disapproval syndrome in 10 siblings pairs and parent-child pairs. This allows, to conclude about a certain regularity within the family. However, we can never be sure.

There are also data on differences in brain structure in transgender people. The middle region of the placental marginal testis (BNST) is smaller in six male-female transsexuals than in heterosexual or homosexual men. This part reminds of the size of this part of the women's brain. This allows concluding about the probability of the existence of relationships with gender identity. Subsequent studies (Kruijver, 2002) showed that size differences were related to the number of neurons. Sex, by the size of BNST , can be determined only at the age of adolescence. This fact allows to ask a question about what is the result and what is the cause in this case.

When diagnosing gender dysphoria, all fetishistic threads should be excluded. This means that for a person with such a diagnosis, it is not stated that behaviour characteristic of a gender other than t possessed, or putting on clothes assigned to it, does not bring any sexual satisfaction.Thus, theories of the emergence of transvestism, which are sometimes mistakenly used to explain transsexualism and transgenderism, can be ruled out in this case. Moreover, there are no clear environmental conditions that would favor the development of transsexualism in the individual. It is therefore assumed that a transsexual person is to more or less like that from birth. This fact can be confirmed by the stories of patients who, from their childhood, struggle with a sense of inadequacy, or report that they "always" felt like a person of a different gender.

Summary

A new approach to gender dysphoria allows us not to stigmatize people who are affected by this issue. In matters related to human sexuality, it can play a key role, especially if we take into account the fact that a psychological opinion is necessary to perform gender transitions. Gender dysphoria, like homosexuality, is not treated by sexologists in terms of something that needs treatment. Their role is to accompany the patients in the whole transition process, to give opinions, and to help in the difficulties of everyday life faced by patients. As emphasized earlier, it is not the psyche that is the element that causes the problems. This maladjustment of psychological and biological aspects is a source of suffering.