A professional body for psychiatrists in Australia and New Zealand has affirmed biology over ideology regarding care for transgendered children.Last month, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) clarified its position on working with Trans and Gender Diverse (TGD) people in Australia and New Zealand."Sex refers to the biological characteristics that define humans as female or male. They differentiate humans as males and females in the vast majority of people," RANZCP explained in an online post announcing the change in clinical guidelines."Gender refers to the state of being male, female or other and/or masculine, feminine and other, with regard to personal, social and cultural characteristics, rather than genetic, hormonal or anatomical characteristics.""While many TGD people do not need to seek mental health care, there is a higher prevalence of mental health conditions (including depression, suicidality, self-harm and anxiety) in the TGD population compared to the general population.""Currently the two main psychiatric classification systems differ. The DSM-5-TR diagnoses Gender Dysphoria includes reference to distress/dysfunction (dysphoria) and is categorised as a mental disorder. The ICD-11 references only Gender Incongruence and has reclassified it as a ‘condition related to sexual health.’"The document said psychiatrists should not find gender experimentation an issue requiring clinical intervention and that a patient's perspective should guide the kind of care that is offered."Gender expansive and non-conforming behaviour and preferences can be normal at any age and should not necessarily be a cause for concern or require attention. For some people, gender identity and/or gender expression can change over time."The new guidelines oppose "conversion therapy" to curb or reorient a person's gender identity and expression and say sexual minorities come to them in a vulnerable state."Some TGD people seek medical and other treatment to affirm their gender while others do not. Psychiatrists and other health care professionals can have an important role in working with TGD people to achieve their best possible mental health. Often, psychiatrists are consulted by TGD people during very challenging and difficult periods in their lives when they are at their most vulnerable," the guidelines said."In all cases, TGD people should be provided with person-centred, evidence-informed mental health care in a supportive, ethical, non-judgmental and culturally safe manner should they seek and require it."The new guidelines say patients should be made aware that regrets and efforts to detransition may face the person who undergoes physical changes to handle their gender incongruence."Sufficient information should be provided to allow for informed consent for gender-affirming medical and surgical treatments. This should always involve thorough, open discussion of the possibility of disappointment, continued gender dysphoria, regret about irreversible effects of treatment, regret about reduced fertility and shifts in gender identity or treatment wishes," the document said."Services should also ensure access to care for people who request hormonal or surgical treatment to reverse the effects of previous gender-affirming medical treatment."Psychiatrists should offer a sense of safety when they undergo therapy for detransitioning, the document said."When working with people who have discontinued or reverse treatment or have experienced a change in their sense of gender, psychiatrists should provide individualised care, understanding the experience of the patient in a way that fosters a sense of safety. Psychiatrists have a role in helping people who detransition to understand their feelings toward their transition, noting that they may report feelings of grief and loss."In an interview with Sky TV, Dr. George Halas said the acknowledgement of sexual norms of male and female and of detransitioners was "absolutely remarkable" given the current activist climate, but was fed by "overseas trends" in another direction."It's a radical departure from the trend that has been pervasive for the last 10 to 15 years. What I speak of here is the major shake up is that it defined sex as a biological characteristic that define the human being as being male or female," Dr. Halas explained."Now for some people, this may seem common sensical. But if you've been following and immersed in the debates and seen some politicians being questioned in Senate hearings and elsewhere, to define what is a man, what is a woman and they really sort of struggle, like they really are lost for words. It is so refreshing to hear the college that I belong to just say that sex is a defining characteristic that goes on also to define gender and gender dysphoria and gender incongruence and all the technical things."
A professional body for psychiatrists in Australia and New Zealand has affirmed biology over ideology regarding care for transgendered children.Last month, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) clarified its position on working with Trans and Gender Diverse (TGD) people in Australia and New Zealand."Sex refers to the biological characteristics that define humans as female or male. They differentiate humans as males and females in the vast majority of people," RANZCP explained in an online post announcing the change in clinical guidelines."Gender refers to the state of being male, female or other and/or masculine, feminine and other, with regard to personal, social and cultural characteristics, rather than genetic, hormonal or anatomical characteristics.""While many TGD people do not need to seek mental health care, there is a higher prevalence of mental health conditions (including depression, suicidality, self-harm and anxiety) in the TGD population compared to the general population.""Currently the two main psychiatric classification systems differ. The DSM-5-TR diagnoses Gender Dysphoria includes reference to distress/dysfunction (dysphoria) and is categorised as a mental disorder. The ICD-11 references only Gender Incongruence and has reclassified it as a ‘condition related to sexual health.’"The document said psychiatrists should not find gender experimentation an issue requiring clinical intervention and that a patient's perspective should guide the kind of care that is offered."Gender expansive and non-conforming behaviour and preferences can be normal at any age and should not necessarily be a cause for concern or require attention. For some people, gender identity and/or gender expression can change over time."The new guidelines oppose "conversion therapy" to curb or reorient a person's gender identity and expression and say sexual minorities come to them in a vulnerable state."Some TGD people seek medical and other treatment to affirm their gender while others do not. Psychiatrists and other health care professionals can have an important role in working with TGD people to achieve their best possible mental health. Often, psychiatrists are consulted by TGD people during very challenging and difficult periods in their lives when they are at their most vulnerable," the guidelines said."In all cases, TGD people should be provided with person-centred, evidence-informed mental health care in a supportive, ethical, non-judgmental and culturally safe manner should they seek and require it."The new guidelines say patients should be made aware that regrets and efforts to detransition may face the person who undergoes physical changes to handle their gender incongruence."Sufficient information should be provided to allow for informed consent for gender-affirming medical and surgical treatments. This should always involve thorough, open discussion of the possibility of disappointment, continued gender dysphoria, regret about irreversible effects of treatment, regret about reduced fertility and shifts in gender identity or treatment wishes," the document said."Services should also ensure access to care for people who request hormonal or surgical treatment to reverse the effects of previous gender-affirming medical treatment."Psychiatrists should offer a sense of safety when they undergo therapy for detransitioning, the document said."When working with people who have discontinued or reverse treatment or have experienced a change in their sense of gender, psychiatrists should provide individualised care, understanding the experience of the patient in a way that fosters a sense of safety. Psychiatrists have a role in helping people who detransition to understand their feelings toward their transition, noting that they may report feelings of grief and loss."In an interview with Sky TV, Dr. George Halas said the acknowledgement of sexual norms of male and female and of detransitioners was "absolutely remarkable" given the current activist climate, but was fed by "overseas trends" in another direction."It's a radical departure from the trend that has been pervasive for the last 10 to 15 years. What I speak of here is the major shake up is that it defined sex as a biological characteristic that define the human being as being male or female," Dr. Halas explained."Now for some people, this may seem common sensical. But if you've been following and immersed in the debates and seen some politicians being questioned in Senate hearings and elsewhere, to define what is a man, what is a woman and they really sort of struggle, like they really are lost for words. It is so refreshing to hear the college that I belong to just say that sex is a defining characteristic that goes on also to define gender and gender dysphoria and gender incongruence and all the technical things."
