APA task force recommends treatment guidelines on transgender persons

[MadelineB]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/s-atf070212.php
Public release date: 2-Jul-2012
Contact: Joan Robinson, Springer

APA task force recommends treatment guidelines and position statements on transgender persons

Report just published in Springer's Archives of Sexual Behavior

A report from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Task Force on Treatment of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) recommends the development of clinical practice guidelines for psychiatrists caring for patients who are transgender. The report also encourages the development of position statements regarding the health care and civil rights of people who are gender variant or transitioning gender. The task force report is available online in Springer's journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.
....
Task Force Chair William Byne, M.D., Ph.D., said, "The American Medical Association has adopted a resolution supporting insurance coverage for medically necessary treatment for individuals diagnosed with GID. The task force report recommends the APA adopt a similar position, and issue other statements in support of the rights of gender variant persons."

The full task force report is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10508-012-9975-x.
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Note: there is no cost or login required for the full download.

[peky]

One more reason to get GID out of the psychiatrists grasp

[suzifrommd]

One more reason to get GID out of the psychiatrists grasp

Having read the report cover-to-cover now, I actually saw a lot in it I liked. Seems like they were advocating a lot of flexibility in the treatment of transgender.

What did you dislike about it?

[peky]

Having read the report cover-to-cover now, I actually saw a lot in it I liked. Seems like they were advocating a lot of flexibility in the treatment of transgender.

What did you dislike about it?

I dislike that they are failing to accept the fact that GID is no a mental disease. Note the fact that psychiatrist and psychologist have little to contribute to GID per se. If the patient has some other psychiatric and/or psychological issues, as sometimes happens to be the case, then fine, I can see a role for them, but other than that it is not like they can provide or offer a cure.

I think they also should be part of the team that diagnose GID. It is important for them to be part of the team that initially to make sure that the patient does not have major psychiatric or psychological issues.

The biggest problem with this manifesto is that -in my view- it is an attempt to keep GID classified as a mental disease.

The emerging medical data indicates that GID is a neurological developmental in which a male body child is born with a female brain configuration that results in a deep and innate female gender perception. There is no brain malfunction or brain abnormality. The part of the brain that determine your gender orientation are no different than those found in a cis female. THEREFORE, GID IS NOT A MENTAL ILLNESS OR A NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE BUT RATHER A BIRTH DEFECT. There is no therapy (psychiatric or pharmaceutical) that can modify or alter its course, The appropriate medical course of action is to provided psychological counseling to the patient to alleviate anxiety and discomfort, to validate his/her feelings, to guide and ease the transition. Medically, the treatment is well, we all know: FFS, HTR., SRS, etc.

I hear the following argument often in this and other forums: "But if GID is not a mental disease, then we will not get health coverage."  THIS IS A FALSE ASSUMPTION! Treatment for Neurological birth defects are covered by health coverage plans. For example, dysphoria caused by homosexuality (people who have a hard time dealing with their homosexuality) is covered by most health plans