It’s prescribed to help a person gain the outward characteristics that match their gender identity.įor children who haven’t gone through puberty, this involves using certain types of hormones to temporarily pause puberty. Hormone therapy involves using testosterone hormones for adults who were assigned female at birth and both estrogen hormones and testosterone blockers for adults who were assigned male at birth. It’s now clearer that gender incongruence isn’t a mental disorder, but with a substantial need for gender-affirming healthcare, the World Health Organization decided there are needs that can best be met if gender incongruence remains coded under the ICD-11. It may include a combination of medical, surgical, mental health, and other services.Īs of 2022, this type of healthcare is coded in the 11th edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) under the term, or diagnostic category, “gender incongruence” in the chapter “conditions related to sexual health.” Gender-affirming healthcare is patient-centered and works to align a transgender individual’s outward, physical traits with their gender identity.
