Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identity—their personal sense of their own gender—and their sex assigned at birth.[5][6] The term replaced the previous diagnostic label of gender identity disorder (GID) in 2013 with the release of the diagnostic manual DSM-5. The condition was renamed to remove the stigma associated with the term disorder.[7]
People with gender dysphoria commonly identify as transgender.[8] Gender nonconformity is not the same thing as gender dysphoria[9] and does not always lead to dysphoria or distress.[10]
The causes of gender incongruence are unknown but a gender identity likely reflects genetic, biological, environmental, and cultural factors.[11][12][13] Diagnosis can be given at any age, although gender dysphoria in children and adolescents may manifest differently than in adults.[14] Complications may include anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.[8] Treatment for gender dysphoria includes social transitioning and often includes hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and/or gender-affirming surgeries, and psychotherapy.[2][3]
Some researchers and transgender people argue for the declassification of the condition because they say the diagnosis pathologizes gender variance and reinforces the binary model of gender.[15] However, this declassification could carry implications for healthcare accessibility, as HRT and gender-affirming surgery could be deemed cosmetic by insurance providers, as opposed to medically necessary treatment, thereby affecting coverage.[16]
Distress arising from an incongruence between a person's felt gender and assigned sex/gender (usually at birth) is the cardinal symptom of gender dysphoria.[17][18]
No particular sexual orientation indicates gender dysphoria.[19][20] A 2021 review in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience found no relation to sexual orientation, but acknowledged that historically the two were often erroneously conflated.[21] The British National Health Service also stated "gender dysphoria is not related to sexual orientation".[22]