According toDSM-IV-TR,gender identitydisorder (GID)(also known as transsexualism) has two features: a strong and persistent cross-gender identification and persistent discomfort about one’s assigned gender or a sense of inappropriateness in the role of that gender. It is reportedly a rare disorder, with prevalence rates between 1:12,000 and 1:40,000 in western countries (Landén, Wålinder, & Lun...

BACKGROUND Gender identity disorder is a rare entity in psychiatry which affects deep instincts and personal identity. A review of the recent literature has shown that research of socio-demographic characteristics of transsexual patients is sporadic. There are very few investigations which consider the socio-demographic characteristics in individuals with disharmonized sex and gender identity. ...

Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is a condition in which a person experiences discrepancy between the sex assigned atbirth and the gender they identify with. Transsexualism is considered the most extreme form of GID and is characterized by the desire to live and be treated as a member of the opposite gender. The prevalence of male-to-female transsexualism in Belgium is estimated at 1 per 12,900 m...

Hormonal treatment of transsexual adolescents is controversial. Whereas gender identity in childhood is not stable, adolescence is often a crucial phase in the development of a persons’ gender identity. Hormonal treatment in transsexual adolescents may avoid the development of or a worsening of psychiatric co-morbidity, leads to superior cosmetic results, and is therefore strongly indicated. Re...

Compelling studies have demonstrated that "gender identity"--a person's inner sense of self as male, female, or occasionally a category other than male or female--is not simply a psychosocial construct, but likely reflects a complex interplay of biological, environmental, and cultural factors. An increasing number of preadolescents and adolescents, identifying as "transgender" (a transient or p...