Gender Dysphoria

Gender dysphoria is the clinically significant distress some people feel when their gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth or with their body and social role. It can show up as discomfort with physical characteristics, distress at being misgendered, or a persistent sense of incongruence. The American Psychiatric Association introduced the term in the DSM-5 in 2013, replacing the older diagnosis of gender identity disorder. That shift moved the focus onto the distress a person may experience rather than framing transgender identity itself as a disorder. The DSM-5 states plainly that gender nonconformity is not a mental disorder. Not every trans person experiences dysphoria, and gender-affirming care such as social, hormonal, or surgical support is used to reduce it.