Table : TABLE 11.3 • Gender Dysphoria Facts at a Glance
Prevalence
  • The prevalence of gender dysphoria is very low, estimated at 0.014% or lower.
    • Comorbidity
  • In one survey of 31 patients who were diagnosed with gender dysphoria and had not yet begun the process of sex reassignment surgery, almost 75% had another psychiatric disorder at some point in their lives, most often either a mood disorder or a substance-related disorder (Hepp et al., 2005). However, only 39% had another psychological disorder after they began the sex reassignment process; this finding suggests that the previous high comorbidity was at least partly related to living as a gender that did not correspond to a person’s gender identity.
    • Onset
  • Symptoms of cross-gender identity typically begin in childhood.
    • Course
  • If symptoms persist into adulthood, they are likely to remain stable, leading many people with this disorder to seek sex reassignment surgery.
    • Gender Differences
  • The ratio of natal males to natal females ranges from 2:1 to 6:1.
    • Cultural Differences
  • Cross-gender identification is not considered pathological in all cultures; in some Native American and traditional African cultures, such people have high status and are seen as especially spiritual (Jacobs et al., 1997; Langer & Martin, 2004; Roscoe, 1993).
    • Source: Unless otherwise noted, information is from American Psychiatric Association, 2013.