Gender Dysphoria and Disorders of Sex Development

Baudewijntje P.C. Kreukels, PhD ia a senior researcher at VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Department of Medical Psychology, Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam Hormones & Brain. Dr. Kreukels is also Editor Neuropraxis, a Dutch journal on Neuroscience and in 2011 guest editor-in-chief special issue neuroendocrinology. Dr. Kreukels is a member of the International Academy of Sex Research, Dutch Society for Neuropsychology, Network LGBT Research, and the Dutch Neurofederation.Thomas D. Steensma, PhD is a clinical psychologist at the VU Medical Center in The Netherlands. He received his master degree in clinical and social psychology from the University of Amsterdam. He is an associate member of the International Academy of Sex Research.Annelou de Vries, MD, PhD is a child and adolescent psychiatrist working at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. The scope of her work is consultative-liaison psychiatryat the Pediatric department, focusing on sick children with mental health problems. An important and special part of her work is dedicated to gender dysphoric adolescents. At the Amsterdam Gender Identity Clinic (Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria), adolescents with a gender identity disorder may be eligible for the complete reversible medical treatment with GnRH analogues to block puberty from age 12 on to create rest and time to make a balanced decision about the irreversible gender reassignment when adolescents reach adulthood. Apart from her clinical work with these gender dysphoric adolescents, Annelou de Vries is also involved in research and published several studies on mental health of gender dysphoric adolescents and treatment evaluation  of this GnRH analogue treatment.

Part I: Developmental principles.- Sex differentiation: Organizing hormone effects.- Genetic aspects of gender identity development and gender dysphoria.- Gender identity development, a biopsychosocial perspective.- Part II: Disorders of sex development.- The early care of the infant with a suspected disorder of sex development.- A noncategorical approach to the psychosocial care of persons with DSD and their families.- Psychosexual development in individuals with disorders of sex development (DSD).- Part III: Gender dysphoria.- Gender identity diagnosis: History and controversies.- Care for gender dysphoric children.- Models of psychopathology in children and adolescents with gender dysphoria.- Early medical intervention in adolescents with gender dysphoria.- Medical treatment for children with gender dysphoria: conceptual and ethical issues.- Care for adults with gender dysphoria.- Psychiatric comorbidity in adults with gender identity problems.- Sex reassignment: Endocrinological interventions in adults with gender dysphoria.- Surgical interventions for gender dysphoria.- The impact of stigma on transgender identity development and mental health.- Identity - An historical and political reflection.