WPATH announces new standards of care for transgender and gender nonconforming people

[Guest Ney'ite]

I just was informed that WPATH has issued the newest SOC 7th Version and it has changed a lot of things for the better.

The article said: “And when Coleman announced that the new standards of care state in no uncertain terms that "reparative therapy is unethical," there was even more applause.”

A couple of key changes:

• Psychotherapy is no longer a requirement to receive hormones and surgery, although it is suggested.

"It used to be a minimum amount of psychotherapy was needed. An assessment is still required but that can be done by the prescribing hormone provider," Bockting explained.

• There are now different standards for surgery, as well. For example, a transgender man who wants a hysterectomy no longer has to live one year as a male in order to receive the surgery. Likewise, a transgender woman who wants her testicles removed does not have to live one year as a female.

For people who want genital reconstructive surgery, however, the standards of care recommend living a year in the role of the gender they are transitioning.

WPATH announces new standards of care for transgender and gender nonconforming people

Standards of Care - 7th Version (PDF)

[Drea]

The standards have been becomming irrelevent for many years. As there has been more informed consent clinics and docs in certain parts of the world that didn't follow the standards, people just bypassed much of the standards.

[Guest John Chiv]

Going to have to read this as soon as I catch up with work on a Monday morning. Thanks for some of the highlights.

John

[Guest JaniceW]

Thank you for sharing the links.

[Guest Ney'ite]

The standards have been becomming irrelevent for many years. As there has been more informed consent clinics and docs in certain parts of the world that didn't follow the standards, people just bypassed much of the standards.

Very true, Drea. My therapist was ready to start me on hormones after my first visit. Thankfully it would seem that the SOC is finally starting to catch up as well.

And for everyone thanking me for posting, more than welcome!

[Guest Mia J]

Thanks for posting this.

Mia

[Guest KimberlyF]

The standards have been becomming irrelevent for many years. As there has been more informed consent clinics and docs in certain parts of the world that didn't follow the standards, people just bypassed much of the standards.

Yep. In a few of the discussions on how people would change them I've mentioned their pending irrelevance.

It's kinda like video stores to recognize video on demand. Welcome to the party. Shut of the lights cause it's just winding down here.

That being said, some people need a whole lot more than 3 months for hormones or 1 year for surgery anyway. And some less. Picking an arbitrary number is silly. Esp when each therapist has a different skill level and each relationship takes a different time commitment to reach a deep connection.

Edited September 26, 2011 by KimberlyF
Removed quote included in error from another topic as per Kimberly

[Guest Mia J]

I would hope that at least some therapy would be required. I have heard and read about horror stories about folks who went on HRT because of a sexual kick or fetish only to totally crash later when they realized this was not what they really wanted and could not go back.

Mia

[Guest KimberlyF]

This multi quote feature is glitchy

Anywho...there were plenty of people who got HRT after one visit under 6. There was a loophole. But a therapy requirement wouldn't permit a faker or fetishist with the old system?

Bottom line is if someone is sane, for whatever reason they want it, it's better they get it legit than black market.

[Guest Mia J]

I agree that the informed consent is better than going the "do it yourself" route.

But I strongly believe that someone should also be sure this is the route they want to go and the best way to do that is at least a couple sessions with a gender therapist who can also explain all of the things that will happen with HRT.

There were also plenty of folks who went through some therapy and got a letter only to regret it latter because they were not honest with their G.T. in the first place. I personally know a person who did this and it ended up tragic for them.

Mia

[Guest Ney'ite]

There were also plenty of folks who went through some therapy and got a letter only to regret it latter because they were not honest with their G.T. in the first place. I personally know a person who did this and it ended up tragic for them.

That is so sad about the person you know. Unfortunately this does happen. People do not realize that there are some things in life, such as taking hormones, there *is* no Edit -> Undo.

I saw a rather unsettling piece on I think it was MSN TV when they had a short series entitled: "Born In The Wrong Body" - this particular segment was " - A Change Of Heart" and dealt with two MTFTM's - one who realized after 20 years of transitioning to female including GRS/SRS that they wanted to go back to being male because he realized he was gay (I am not sure how successful that would be finding a partner while still having a fully functional vagina?), the other went back at the bidding of some church.

[Guest Risu]

A lot of these changes are for the better but the no therapy thing does bug me a bit. While in my experience many people were extremely reluctant to prescribe and insisted on an endocrinologist only one of the Endos I have worked with over the years required a letter or a had any real schooling and knowledge of transgender SOC.

While it has been proven even the most crazy of crazies would not want to change their gender there are some people out there who have been "talked into it" and convinced by others they're trans when they weren't, or should I say weren't trans enough to need full transition. Probably more two spirited than anything. I know of two people who transitioned from MtF and passed very well and lived very successful lives post-op and then decided to go back to being a man because of the way men treated them among other things. It is possible some catastrophes can't be avoided even with therapy but I suppose requiring therapy would be all around a much safer route to take.

[Drea]

There were also plenty of folks who went through some therapy and got a letter only to regret it latter because they were not honest with their G.T. in the first place. I personally know a person who did this and it ended up tragic for them.

That is so sad about the person you know. Unfortunately this does happen. People do not realize that there are some things in life, such as taking hormones, there *is* no Edit -> Undo.

I saw a rather unsettling piece on I think it was MSN TV when they had a short series entitled: "Born In The Wrong Body" - this particular segment was " - A Change Of Heart" and dealt with two MTFTM's - one who realized after 20 years of transitioning to female including GRS/SRS that they wanted to go back to being male because he realized he was gay (I am not sure how successful that would be finding a partner while still having a fully functional vagina?), the other went back at the bidding of some church.

One only has to be around the community long enough to have known someone who has done similar. In my experience they tend to be the folks who prior and throughout transiiton first and foremost talk about how without a doubt that they are trans, that they must transition, and that SRS is a must for them.. They often tend to reject idea of therapy, but not all, some do have plenty of therapy. They also tend to be well read on the subject and know everything because of how much they researched.

[Paula ult]

The standards have been becomming irrelevent for many years. As there has been more informed consent clinics and docs in certain parts of the world that didn't follow the standards, people just bypassed much of the standards.

While it is true allot of people bypass the SOC, at some point you do have to go to a therapist to get your letter(s) if you want surgery.

I can foresee in the future people regretting their decisions to start hormones if they have not seen a therapist first, i have read many topics here over the years of those wanting just body hair reduction, just a little breast growth, or want everything that hormones give you except ED, with HRT genetics plays a large roll in what you will get and what you won't, with SOC Ver 7 these are the same people that will blindly convince their doctor to prescribe hormones, and when things go wrong who are they going to blame, surely not themselves for not doing the research, of course it is the doctors fault.

Paula

[Guest Ney'ite]

...

In my experience they tend to be the folks who prior and throughout transiiton first and foremost talk about how without a doubt that they are trans, that they must transition, and that SRS is a must for them.. They often tend to reject idea of therapy...

Hmm . . . that is interesting point I was not aware of. There is always something new to learn!

[Guest Mia J]

The person I know started as a gay male who became a drag-queen and sang base in a rock band.

She decided that she really needed to transition to a female and went through all of the steps to not only get HRT but eventually get GRS, extreme breast enhancement, and some ffs just by playing the system and taking some shortcuts. When I met her in 1995 it was a few years after she had completed her transition. One of the things that always stood out with her was that she never made any attempt to be feminine beyond her body changes. She still had a deep base voice and very loud and was always masculine sounding and never adapted to any female movement or mannerisms.

About five or six years ago she let it be known to friends that she was regretful that she had ever made the transition because she knew she had never truly been a transsexual and had been most happy when she was a gay male drag-queen and was now just going to have to live as she is. After not seeing her for a couple of years I saw her at a festival this spring. She did not look well at all. She told me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer the year before and had several surgeries and chemo but had not been successful. As I write this she is in the hospital with complete kidney failure and is in the last stages of her life. Not only did she have to suffer with her choice's but now it is costing her life when she is still in her forties.

Mia

[Guest Ney'ite]

The person I know started as a gay male who became a drag-queen and sang base in a rock band.

She decided that she really needed to transition to a female and went through all of the steps to not only get HRT but eventually get GRS, extreme breast enhancement, and some ffs just by playing the system and taking some shortcuts. When I met her in 1995 it was a few years after she had completed her transition. One of the things that always stood out with her was that she never made any attempt to be feminine beyond her body changes. She still had a deep base voice and very loud and was always masculine sounding and never adapted to any female movement or mannerisms.

About five or six years ago she let it be known to friends that she was regretful that she had ever made the transition because she knew she had never truly been a transsexual and had been most happy when she was a gay male drag-queen and was now just going to have to live as she is. After not seeing her for a couple of years I saw her at a festival this spring. She did not look well at all. She told me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer the year before and had several surgeries and chemo but had not been successful. As I write this she is in the hospital with complete kidney failure and is in the last stages of her life. Not only did she have to suffer with her choice's but now it is costing her life when she is still in her forties.

Mia

Oh dear, that is just awful. It really is so much more than just taking hormones and having physical changes. Those are only a small fraction of transitioning. Most of anyone's transition is internal . . . the things no one sees. And there is honestly no way to completely prepare for it. There are just so many little nuances you never ever considered. The best chance would be with a trained therapist for sure, but even then, like some have mentioned, there will be some who know how to trick the system. Sadly, as with your friend/acquaintance, sometimes with tragic endings. *sighs*

[faerie princess]

I wonder what WPATH Version 7 means for those of us who are intersexed?

[Bulldog1948]

I wonder what WPATH Version 7 means for those of us who are intersexed?

Yes, I also wonder. Have you had the time to digest all of it yet?

[VickySGV]

I was actuall at the WPATH conference when Dr. Eli Coleman was presenting the documemt for release. It was quite a wonderful moment, and a thrill to have been there. This document was presented at a joint session with two other groups who are vitally involved with the general health and social well being of transgendered people. Some of the specific details were addressed at sessions that took part over the days since Sunday. The big thing that made a couple of the therapists very happy was the new direction for therapy, namely that they are more like climbing guides and porters for high mountain climbers, than as gatekeepers under this new document. We do suffer from disorders and addictions that relate to our Dysphoria, and those DO need help from therapists, but the Dysphoria is no longer a Mental disorder in and of itself. The emotion in the room Sunday was so great and so positive that even on Wednesday I can still feel it., The people there as a whole are intent on us gaining the peace of mind we deserve in this world.

On a less serious note, all oif the rest rooms in the WPATH conference area were marked "All Gender RR". No one there had a problem that way.

[faerie princess]

I wonder what WPATH Version 7 means for those of us who are intersexed?

Yes, I also wonder. Have you had the time to digest all of it yet?

I havn't had time to fully read it yet, but will do so before the end of next week. If I find out what it means for I/S ppl, then I'll write about it on here, and cite the page number

- Chloe

[KieranD]

I desperately want to like this, but I don't. Version 7 has many many flaws.

[Guest Ann Onymous]

I desperately want to like this, but I don't. Version 7 has many many flaws.

not the least of which is that the TeeGee influence has basically codified things as making all of this an having intercourse choice. It wasn't a choice...it was a medical condition present from birth. Once again, more steps being taken that erase historical artifact...

Even sadder is that the TeeGee crowd has NO clue the damage they have done to future transsexuals that have to walk this path...either that or they DO have a clue and simply don't give a damn.

[Drea]

I desperately want to like this, but I don't. Version 7 has many many flaws.

What are the flaws?

[KieranD]

I desperately want to like this, but I don't. Version 7 has many many flaws.

What are the flaws?

There was quoting a researcher who wrote a book saying to cure young boys and correct them from being "sissies" or "feminine" is by having them hit girls.

The recommendation that trans women should wait at least a year before surgery, while saying trans men should get surgery earlier/as soon as possible.

Still using the terms "FTM" and "MTF" which bugs me (I know, not a major point like the previous two).

The treatment of intersex people who reject their assigned sexs is also a problem, and now need counseling.

If I was more awake I could say more and explain others but I'm tiurd.