| Biological sex, biological male or female: These terms refer to physical aspects of maleness and femaleness. As these may not be in line with each other (e.g., a person with XY chromosomes may have female-appearing genitalia), the terms biological sex and biological male or female are imprecise and should be avoided. |
| Cisgender: This means not transgender. An alternative way to describe individuals who are not transgender is “non-transgender people.” |
| Gender-affirming (hormone) treatment: See “gender reassignment” |
| Gender dysphoria: This is the distress and unease experienced if gender identity and designated gender are not completely congruent (see Table 2). In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association released the fifth edition of the DSM-5, which replaced “gender identity disorder” with “gender dysphoria” and changed the criteria for diagnosis. |
| Gender expression: This refers to external manifestations of gender, expressed through one’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics. Typically, transgender people seek to make their gender expression align with their gender identity, rather than their designated gender. |
| Gender identity/experienced gender: This refers to one’s internal, deeply held sense of gender. For transgender people, their gender identity does not match their sex designated at birth. Most people have a gender identity of man or woman (or boy or girl). For some people, their gender identity does not fit neatly into one of those two choices. Unlike gender expression (see below), gender identity is not visible to others. |
| Gender identity disorder: This is the term used for GD/gender incongruence in previous versions of DSM (see “gender dysphoria”). The ICD-10 still uses the term for diagnosing child diagnoses, but the upcoming ICD-11 has proposed using “gender incongruence of childhood.” |
| Gender incongruence: This is an umbrella term used when the gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the designated gender. Gender incongruence is also the proposed name of the gender identity–related diagnoses in ICD-11. Not all individuals with gender incongruence have gender dysphoria or seek treatment. |
| Gender variance: See “gender incongruence” |
| Gender reassignment: This refers to the treatment procedure for those who want to adapt their bodies to the experienced gender by means of hormones and/or surgery. This is also called gender-confirming or gender-affirming treatment. |
| Gender-reassignment surgery (gender-confirming/gender-affirming surgery): These terms refer only to the surgical part of gender-confirming/gender-affirming treatment. |
| Gender role: This refers to behaviors, attitudes, and personality traits that a society (in a given culture and historical period) designates as masculine or feminine and/or that society associates with or considers typical of the social role of men or women. |
| Sex designated at birth: This refers to sex assigned at birth, usually based on genital anatomy. |
| Sex: This refers to attributes that characterize biological maleness or femaleness. The best known attributes include the sex-determining genes, the sex chromosomes, the H-Y antigen, the gonads, sex hormones, internal and external genitalia, and secondary sex characteristics. |
| Sexual orientation: This term describes an individual’s enduring physical and emotional attraction to another person. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Irrespective of their gender identity, transgender people may be attracted to women (gynephilic), attracted to men (androphilic), bisexual, asexual, or queer. |
| Transgender: This is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with their sex designated at birth. Not all transgender individuals seek treatment. |
| Transgender male (also: trans man, female-to-male, transgender male): This refers to individuals assigned female at birth but who identify and live as men. |
| Transgender woman (also: trans woman, male-to female, transgender female): This refers to individuals assigned male at birth but who identify and live as women. |
| Transition: This refers to the process during which transgender persons change their physical, social, and/or legal characteristics consistent with the affirmed gender identity. Prepubertal children may choose to transition socially. |
| Transsexual: This is an older term that originated in the medical and psychological communities to refer to individuals who have permanently transitioned through medical interventions or desired to do so. |
| Biological sex, biological male or female: These terms refer to physical aspects of maleness and femaleness. As these may not be in line with each other (e.g., a person with XY chromosomes may have female-appearing genitalia), the terms biological sex and biological male or female are imprecise and should be avoided. |
| Cisgender: This means not transgender. An alternative way to describe individuals who are not transgender is “non-transgender people.” |
| Gender-affirming (hormone) treatment: See “gender reassignment” |
| Gender dysphoria: This is the distress and unease experienced if gender identity and designated gender are not completely congruent (see Table 2). In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association released the fifth edition of the DSM-5, which replaced “gender identity disorder” with “gender dysphoria” and changed the criteria for diagnosis. |
| Gender expression: This refers to external manifestations of gender, expressed through one’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics. Typically, transgender people seek to make their gender expression align with their gender identity, rather than their designated gender. |
| Gender identity/experienced gender: This refers to one’s internal, deeply held sense of gender. For transgender people, their gender identity does not match their sex designated at birth. Most people have a gender identity of man or woman (or boy or girl). For some people, their gender identity does not fit neatly into one of those two choices. Unlike gender expression (see below), gender identity is not visible to others. |
| Gender identity disorder: This is the term used for GD/gender incongruence in previous versions of DSM (see “gender dysphoria”). The ICD-10 still uses the term for diagnosing child diagnoses, but the upcoming ICD-11 has proposed using “gender incongruence of childhood.” |
| Gender incongruence: This is an umbrella term used when the gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the designated gender. Gender incongruence is also the proposed name of the gender identity–related diagnoses in ICD-11. Not all individuals with gender incongruence have gender dysphoria or seek treatment. |
| Gender variance: See “gender incongruence” |
| Gender reassignment: This refers to the treatment procedure for those who want to adapt their bodies to the experienced gender by means of hormones and/or surgery. This is also called gender-confirming or gender-affirming treatment. |
| Gender-reassignment surgery (gender-confirming/gender-affirming surgery): These terms refer only to the surgical part of gender-confirming/gender-affirming treatment. |
| Gender role: This refers to behaviors, attitudes, and personality traits that a society (in a given culture and historical period) designates as masculine or feminine and/or that society associates with or considers typical of the social role of men or women. |
| Sex designated at birth: This refers to sex assigned at birth, usually based on genital anatomy. |
| Sex: This refers to attributes that characterize biological maleness or femaleness. The best known attributes include the sex-determining genes, the sex chromosomes, the H-Y antigen, the gonads, sex hormones, internal and external genitalia, and secondary sex characteristics. |
| Sexual orientation: This term describes an individual’s enduring physical and emotional attraction to another person. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Irrespective of their gender identity, transgender people may be attracted to women (gynephilic), attracted to men (androphilic), bisexual, asexual, or queer. |
| Transgender: This is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with their sex designated at birth. Not all transgender individuals seek treatment. |
| Transgender male (also: trans man, female-to-male, transgender male): This refers to individuals assigned female at birth but who identify and live as men. |
| Transgender woman (also: trans woman, male-to female, transgender female): This refers to individuals assigned male at birth but who identify and live as women. |
| Transition: This refers to the process during which transgender persons change their physical, social, and/or legal characteristics consistent with the affirmed gender identity. Prepubertal children may choose to transition socially. |
| Transsexual: This is an older term that originated in the medical and psychological communities to refer to individuals who have permanently transitioned through medical interventions or desired to do so. |
| Biological sex, biological male or female: These terms refer to physical aspects of maleness and femaleness. As these may not be in line with each other (e.g., a person with XY chromosomes may have female-appearing genitalia), the terms biological sex and biological male or female are imprecise and should be avoided. |
| Cisgender: This means not transgender. An alternative way to describe individuals who are not transgender is “non-transgender people.” |
| Gender-affirming (hormone) treatment: See “gender reassignment” |
| Gender dysphoria: This is the distress and unease experienced if gender identity and designated gender are not completely congruent (see Table 2). In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association released the fifth edition of the DSM-5, which replaced “gender identity disorder” with “gender dysphoria” and changed the criteria for diagnosis. |
| Gender expression: This refers to external manifestations of gender, expressed through one’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics. Typically, transgender people seek to make their gender expression align with their gender identity, rather than their designated gender. |
| Gender identity/experienced gender: This refers to one’s internal, deeply held sense of gender. For transgender people, their gender identity does not match their sex designated at birth. Most people have a gender identity of man or woman (or boy or girl). For some people, their gender identity does not fit neatly into one of those two choices. Unlike gender expression (see below), gender identity is not visible to others. |
| Gender identity disorder: This is the term used for GD/gender incongruence in previous versions of DSM (see “gender dysphoria”). The ICD-10 still uses the term for diagnosing child diagnoses, but the upcoming ICD-11 has proposed using “gender incongruence of childhood.” |
| Gender incongruence: This is an umbrella term used when the gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the designated gender. Gender incongruence is also the proposed name of the gender identity–related diagnoses in ICD-11. Not all individuals with gender incongruence have gender dysphoria or seek treatment. |
| Gender variance: See “gender incongruence” |
| Gender reassignment: This refers to the treatment procedure for those who want to adapt their bodies to the experienced gender by means of hormones and/or surgery. This is also called gender-confirming or gender-affirming treatment. |
| Gender-reassignment surgery (gender-confirming/gender-affirming surgery): These terms refer only to the surgical part of gender-confirming/gender-affirming treatment. |
| Gender role: This refers to behaviors, attitudes, and personality traits that a society (in a given culture and historical period) designates as masculine or feminine and/or that society associates with or considers typical of the social role of men or women. |
| Sex designated at birth: This refers to sex assigned at birth, usually based on genital anatomy. |
| Sex: This refers to attributes that characterize biological maleness or femaleness. The best known attributes include the sex-determining genes, the sex chromosomes, the H-Y antigen, the gonads, sex hormones, internal and external genitalia, and secondary sex characteristics. |
| Sexual orientation: This term describes an individual’s enduring physical and emotional attraction to another person. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Irrespective of their gender identity, transgender people may be attracted to women (gynephilic), attracted to men (androphilic), bisexual, asexual, or queer. |
| Transgender: This is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with their sex designated at birth. Not all transgender individuals seek treatment. |
| Transgender male (also: trans man, female-to-male, transgender male): This refers to individuals assigned female at birth but who identify and live as men. |
| Transgender woman (also: trans woman, male-to female, transgender female): This refers to individuals assigned male at birth but who identify and live as women. |
| Transition: This refers to the process during which transgender persons change their physical, social, and/or legal characteristics consistent with the affirmed gender identity. Prepubertal children may choose to transition socially. |
| Transsexual: This is an older term that originated in the medical and psychological communities to refer to individuals who have permanently transitioned through medical interventions or desired to do so. |
| Biological sex, biological male or female: These terms refer to physical aspects of maleness and femaleness. As these may not be in line with each other (e.g., a person with XY chromosomes may have female-appearing genitalia), the terms biological sex and biological male or female are imprecise and should be avoided. |
| Cisgender: This means not transgender. An alternative way to describe individuals who are not transgender is “non-transgender people.” |
| Gender-affirming (hormone) treatment: See “gender reassignment” |
| Gender dysphoria: This is the distress and unease experienced if gender identity and designated gender are not completely congruent (see Table 2). In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association released the fifth edition of the DSM-5, which replaced “gender identity disorder” with “gender dysphoria” and changed the criteria for diagnosis. |
| Gender expression: This refers to external manifestations of gender, expressed through one’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics. Typically, transgender people seek to make their gender expression align with their gender identity, rather than their designated gender. |
| Gender identity/experienced gender: This refers to one’s internal, deeply held sense of gender. For transgender people, their gender identity does not match their sex designated at birth. Most people have a gender identity of man or woman (or boy or girl). For some people, their gender identity does not fit neatly into one of those two choices. Unlike gender expression (see below), gender identity is not visible to others. |
| Gender identity disorder: This is the term used for GD/gender incongruence in previous versions of DSM (see “gender dysphoria”). The ICD-10 still uses the term for diagnosing child diagnoses, but the upcoming ICD-11 has proposed using “gender incongruence of childhood.” |
| Gender incongruence: This is an umbrella term used when the gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the designated gender. Gender incongruence is also the proposed name of the gender identity–related diagnoses in ICD-11. Not all individuals with gender incongruence have gender dysphoria or seek treatment. |
| Gender variance: See “gender incongruence” |
| Gender reassignment: This refers to the treatment procedure for those who want to adapt their bodies to the experienced gender by means of hormones and/or surgery. This is also called gender-confirming or gender-affirming treatment. |
| Gender-reassignment surgery (gender-confirming/gender-affirming surgery): These terms refer only to the surgical part of gender-confirming/gender-affirming treatment. |
| Gender role: This refers to behaviors, attitudes, and personality traits that a society (in a given culture and historical period) designates as masculine or feminine and/or that society associates with or considers typical of the social role of men or women. |
| Sex designated at birth: This refers to sex assigned at birth, usually based on genital anatomy. |
| Sex: This refers to attributes that characterize biological maleness or femaleness. The best known attributes include the sex-determining genes, the sex chromosomes, the H-Y antigen, the gonads, sex hormones, internal and external genitalia, and secondary sex characteristics. |
| Sexual orientation: This term describes an individual’s enduring physical and emotional attraction to another person. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Irrespective of their gender identity, transgender people may be attracted to women (gynephilic), attracted to men (androphilic), bisexual, asexual, or queer. |
| Transgender: This is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with their sex designated at birth. Not all transgender individuals seek treatment. |
| Transgender male (also: trans man, female-to-male, transgender male): This refers to individuals assigned female at birth but who identify and live as men. |
| Transgender woman (also: trans woman, male-to female, transgender female): This refers to individuals assigned male at birth but who identify and live as women. |
| Transition: This refers to the process during which transgender persons change their physical, social, and/or legal characteristics consistent with the affirmed gender identity. Prepubertal children may choose to transition socially. |
| Transsexual: This is an older term that originated in the medical and psychological communities to refer to individuals who have permanently transitioned through medical interventions or desired to do so. |
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