What is Gender Identity Disorder?

Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is a psychological diagnosis that may be given to a transgender person. Transgender people often feel as if their physical bodies do not match their gender identities. For example, a person who is born with XX chromosomes and a vagina who feels like a male, may identify as transgender.

GID is a controversial diagnosis because many transgender individuals, as well a growing number of professionals, argue that having a transgender identity does not mean that a person suffers from a mental health condition. There is a movement advocating for the removal of GID from the American Psychological Association\'s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).

In 1973, similar advocacy lead to the removal of homosexuality from the DSM.

Some people believe that GID should remain in the DSM because a diagnosis can make it easier to get health insurance coverage for things like sex reassignment surgery, hormonal treatments and counseling.

Others point to the benefits of an early GID diagnosis. Children and teens who are diagnosed with GID have been able to delay the puberty of their birth sex with the use of drugs. Some have been able to start hormonal treatments and obtain sex reassignment surgery much earlier than they would have otherwise. Supporters of earlier treatment cite studies finding that adolescents who started hormone therapy as teens, had fewer psychological problems than people who started transitioning in adulthood.

Source: http://gayteens.about.com/od/glbtbasicsforteens/f/gid.htm/