| خلاصه مقاله | Gender dysphoria is defined as a pervasive preference of an individual to take the characteristics and gender role of the opposite sex in which not only they suffer from gender dysphoria but strongly want to undergo sexual reassignment surgery as well.
The condition, which was formerly named as transsexuality (TS) or gender identity disorder (GID), may have negative impacts on different psychosocial areas and lead to overt dysfunctions. Although bio-psycho-social aspects have been investigated, no definite etiology has been proposed so far.
There are many challenges in the fields of diagnosis, treatment and legal issues in Iran and some problems have been still unresolved. Some authors believe that the decision of DSM 5 Task Group to exclude it from the entities under the name of “disorder” was a big mistake which could arise important cultural and social deviations. Meanwhile, there is no integrated guideline to approach the patients with gender dysphoria and for example, role change as a pivotal therapeutic procedure has not yet accepted by Iranian courts.
It seems that the management of these conditions needs a comprehensive approach with the interaction between medical doctors, welfare professionals and court judges.
Keywords: gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, psychiatric challenges, gender role |