What Is Gender Dysphoria?

Gender dysphoria is a condition characterized by a dissonance or discomfort that is felt around how a person’s physical body or perceived gender relates to their actual gender. Generally, a person who experiences gender dysphoria falls somewhere under the “transgender” umbrella. This means that they identify with a gender different than the one they were assigned at birth. A transgender person might be a transgender man, a transgender woman, a nonbinary individual, or even someone who does not identify with any specific gender. Every person will experience gender in a different way, so dysphoria will not be the same from one person to another. In addition to making social or legal steps to transition, a person may take certain steps to try to combat the dysphoria they experience around their physical body.

Hormones

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is one step that a transgender individual might take to alleviate their dysphoria. Because the hormones that a person produces will cause their body to look or act in certain ways, HRT can help with things like hair growth, fat distribution, or voice register. Trans-masculine individuals may opt for testosterone therapy Rockville, while trans-feminine individuals might take estrogen.

Surgery

Surgery is another method that some transgender individuals may use to alleviate gender dysphoria. Most commonly, breast augmentation or removal can be done to give someone their desired appearance. Other options are genital reconstruction surgery, facial reconstruction surgery, or body contouring.

Voice Training

For most individuals who are on prescription testosterone, their voice will lower naturally. Vocal training may still be needed to achieve the desired tone. Estrogen, however, does not change a person’s vocal range, meaning that trans-feminine people may need vocal coaching to sound the way they want.

Gender is an extremely personal journey that will vary from person to person. Even those who share experiences and labels may want different outcomes from their transition. The important thing is to make sure that your body is a comfortable place for you to live in.