Rebecca Allison on GID reform at APA convention

On 18 May 2009, Dr Rebecca Allison gave a presentation at the annual APA convention in San Francisco, addressing the topic of whether Gender Identity Disorder should continue in the forthcoming DSM-V.

"IN CONCLUSION, I have used a common example from my practice of cardiology to illustrate that a diagnosis can be correctly made, and treatment can be successfully initiated, based on subjective symptomsas reported by the patient, without confirmation by specific diagnostic testing.

Using the example of microvascular angina as mymodel, I contend that the same principles may be applied to the condition I call Gender Variance (rather than Gender IdentityDisorder).

It is not necessary to achieve certain measurements on a diagnostic image of the brain to know that a physical condition exists and is treatable by physical (medical and surgical) measures.

The results of treatment are obvious and measurable. Hormone therapy works. Surgery to modify primary and secondary sex characteristics works. Transition works. Transition produces good outcomes, and outcomes matter.

In a perfect world, a diagnosis of Gender Variance, which does not carry the stigma of “disorder,” might exist as a medical condition in the ICD. Medical doctors could treat such persons with appropriate hormone management; surgeons could perform the operations essential for a normal life in the appropriate gender; and all such treatments would be covered by health insurance.

In a perfect world, psychiatrists and psychologists would appropriately manage the anxiety, depression, or other emotional conditions which occur in persons who have Gender Variance. These conditions would have appropriate codes in the DSM, but GenderVariance would not.

In a perfect world, psychiatrists might still treat persons WITH Gender Variance; but they would not treat persons FOR Gender Variance."

Full presentation here.