Transsexualism

Symptoms can vary by age, and are affected by the person's social environment. They may include the following:

Children:

• Are disgusted by their own genitals
• Are rejected by their peers, feel alone
• Believe that they will grow up to become the opposite sex
• Have depression or anxiety
• Say that they want to be the opposite sex

Adults:

• Dress like the opposite sex
• Feel alone
• Have depression or anxiety
• Want to live as a person of the opposite sex
• Wish to be rid of their own genitals

Either adults or children:

• Cross-dress, show habits typical of the opposite sex
• Withdraw from social interaction

The feeling of being in the body of the "wrong" gender must last for at least 2 years for this diagnosis to be made. A history and psychiatric evaluation can confirm the person's constant desire to be the opposite sex. The person's partner choices may be same sex or opposite sex.

Images

Male and female reproductive systems

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Gender identity disorder Treatment

Review Date: 02/18/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; and Michelle Benger Merrill, MD, Instructor in Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)