16-02-2014, 07:36 PM
In most societies, a person's gender (male or female) is legally assigned at birth according to the shape of his/her genitalia. For the vast majority of people, one’s assigned gender matches the way they feel inside, that is, boys feel like, and identify with, their male sex, while girls feel like, and identify with, their female sex. Thus, it’s common to use the words ‘sex’ and ‘gender interchangeably.
Sometimes, however, one’s gender identity, i.e., one’s sense of maleness or femaleness, doesn’t match well with one’s birth sex. Although one’s chromosomal sex is either male (XY) or female (XX), one’s gender identity can be male, female, or varying degrees of both.
Traditionally, societies have for the most part recognized only two genders, male and female, but these terms do not capture the gender identities of some people. Today, the psychiatric community considers physical sex and gender separate, independent aspects of an individual’s being. Furthermore, one’s innate sense of gender is ‘hardwired’ in the brain. It cannot be changed through psycho analysis or other therapies.
Here are some other designations that are useful in describing the broad diversity of gender identity in the population:
Physical Sex – the chromosomal, genital, or reproductive characteristics of one’s body: male, female, or intersex (mixed genitalia).
Gender – one’s sense of maleness or femaleness, irrespective of one’s physical sex.
Gender Nonconformity - refers to the extent to which a person’s gender identity, role, or expression differs from the cultural norms prescribed for people of a particular culture.
Gender Dysphoria – refers to discomfort or distress that is caused by a discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and that person’s sex assigned at birth. This mental anguish is the result of being deprived of a means of expressing one’s gender identity due to social stigma, and also due to the effect that one’s sex hormone balance (estrogen to testosterone) has on the brain. The symptoms of gender dysphoria do not follow a prescribed pattern, nor are all transgender individuals dysphoric.
Gender Spectrum – the range of physical and psychological traits that define someone as masculine or feminine according to the culture that they live in.
Gender Therapy – the treatment/alleviation of gender dysphoria. Many individuals who receive treatment will find a gender role and expression that is comfortable for them whether or not it is consistent with their sex assigned at birth, or with societal gender expectations.
Transgender (TG) – an umbrella term used to describe anyone who deviates from society’s view of what constitutes maleness and femaleness.
Transsexual (TS) – used to describe a person who chooses to live as the sex other than the one they were assigned at birth. Note that surgical alteration of the genitalia is not a prerequisite for this designation.
Trans – short for transgender including all gender-variant expression (e.g., cross dressers, drag performers, masculine women, feminine men, intersex)
Transition/transitioning – the process of altering one’s gender presentation (physical appearance and behavior) to better match one’s gender identity. Transitioning may or may not include surgical alteration of the genitalia or other modifications of secondary sex characteristics (e.g., breast growth, facial hair reduction).
Trans woman/Trans man – a transsexual who has transitioned to life as a woman/man.
Cisgender – (also cissexual) used to describe a person who is not transgender, that is, a person who society considers to be a ‘normal’ male or female. Similarly, ciswoman /cisman are short for cisgender woman/cisgender man.
FFS - an abbreviation for 'facial feminization surgery' often elected by transsexual women to help pass as women in public. It includes brow lift, rhinoplasty, cheek implantation, lip augmentation, and adam's apple shaving.
MTF – an abbreviation for someone who is male-to-female transgender. Similarly, FTM for someone who is female-to-male transgender.
HRT – abbreviation for ‘hormone replacement therapy’ which involves the use of prescription pharmaceutical drugs to alter the sex hormone balance of the body to change the secondary sex characteristics of the individual to better match one’s gender identity. Estrogen and testosterone blockers are typically administered for MTF transitioning, while testosterone is given for FTM transitioning. HRT is also used as a diagnostic tool by gender therapists to confirm the existence of gender dysphoria in a patient. Certain herbal substances can have a similar, although weaker, effect.
SRS – abbreviation for ‘sex reassignment surgery’ to reconstruct the genitals to better match the gender identity of the transsexual. A transsexual is often referred to as 'pre-op' before the surgery is performed, and post-op afterward. Some synonymous/related terms are genital reassignment surgery (GRS), gender confirmation surgery (GCS), bottom surgery, and top surgery.
Sometimes, however, one’s gender identity, i.e., one’s sense of maleness or femaleness, doesn’t match well with one’s birth sex. Although one’s chromosomal sex is either male (XY) or female (XX), one’s gender identity can be male, female, or varying degrees of both.
Traditionally, societies have for the most part recognized only two genders, male and female, but these terms do not capture the gender identities of some people. Today, the psychiatric community considers physical sex and gender separate, independent aspects of an individual’s being. Furthermore, one’s innate sense of gender is ‘hardwired’ in the brain. It cannot be changed through psycho analysis or other therapies.
Here are some other designations that are useful in describing the broad diversity of gender identity in the population:
Physical Sex – the chromosomal, genital, or reproductive characteristics of one’s body: male, female, or intersex (mixed genitalia).
Gender – one’s sense of maleness or femaleness, irrespective of one’s physical sex.
Gender Nonconformity - refers to the extent to which a person’s gender identity, role, or expression differs from the cultural norms prescribed for people of a particular culture.
Gender Dysphoria – refers to discomfort or distress that is caused by a discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and that person’s sex assigned at birth. This mental anguish is the result of being deprived of a means of expressing one’s gender identity due to social stigma, and also due to the effect that one’s sex hormone balance (estrogen to testosterone) has on the brain. The symptoms of gender dysphoria do not follow a prescribed pattern, nor are all transgender individuals dysphoric.
Gender Spectrum – the range of physical and psychological traits that define someone as masculine or feminine according to the culture that they live in.
Gender Therapy – the treatment/alleviation of gender dysphoria. Many individuals who receive treatment will find a gender role and expression that is comfortable for them whether or not it is consistent with their sex assigned at birth, or with societal gender expectations.
Transgender (TG) – an umbrella term used to describe anyone who deviates from society’s view of what constitutes maleness and femaleness.
Transsexual (TS) – used to describe a person who chooses to live as the sex other than the one they were assigned at birth. Note that surgical alteration of the genitalia is not a prerequisite for this designation.
Trans – short for transgender including all gender-variant expression (e.g., cross dressers, drag performers, masculine women, feminine men, intersex)
Transition/transitioning – the process of altering one’s gender presentation (physical appearance and behavior) to better match one’s gender identity. Transitioning may or may not include surgical alteration of the genitalia or other modifications of secondary sex characteristics (e.g., breast growth, facial hair reduction).
Trans woman/Trans man – a transsexual who has transitioned to life as a woman/man.
Cisgender – (also cissexual) used to describe a person who is not transgender, that is, a person who society considers to be a ‘normal’ male or female. Similarly, ciswoman /cisman are short for cisgender woman/cisgender man.
FFS - an abbreviation for 'facial feminization surgery' often elected by transsexual women to help pass as women in public. It includes brow lift, rhinoplasty, cheek implantation, lip augmentation, and adam's apple shaving.
MTF – an abbreviation for someone who is male-to-female transgender. Similarly, FTM for someone who is female-to-male transgender.
HRT – abbreviation for ‘hormone replacement therapy’ which involves the use of prescription pharmaceutical drugs to alter the sex hormone balance of the body to change the secondary sex characteristics of the individual to better match one’s gender identity. Estrogen and testosterone blockers are typically administered for MTF transitioning, while testosterone is given for FTM transitioning. HRT is also used as a diagnostic tool by gender therapists to confirm the existence of gender dysphoria in a patient. Certain herbal substances can have a similar, although weaker, effect.
SRS – abbreviation for ‘sex reassignment surgery’ to reconstruct the genitals to better match the gender identity of the transsexual. A transsexual is often referred to as 'pre-op' before the surgery is performed, and post-op afterward. Some synonymous/related terms are genital reassignment surgery (GRS), gender confirmation surgery (GCS), bottom surgery, and top surgery.
