World Health Organization Classify’s Transgenderism as Sexual Health Instead of Mental Disorder

On Saturday 25 May, the health agency approved an update to its International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11), a manual used globally to diagnose diseases.

The decision to remove transgender identities from the ICD-11’s classification of mental disorders was announced by WHO in June last year.

The update has now been approved via a vote held by the World Health Assembly, the WHO’s governing body which represents the organisation’s 194 member states.

The changes to the health manual will come into effect on 1 January 2022.

The ICD-11 update has re-named “gender identity disorders” to be titled “gender incongruence”.

“Gender incongruence” is now listed under a chapter on “sexual health”, as opposed to “mental disorders”.

The WHO’s decision to no longer classify being transgender as a mental disorder has been hailed by several LGBT+ activists.

“The WHO’s removal of ‘gender identity disorder’ from its diagnostic manual will have a liberating effect on transgender people worldwide,” saidGraeme Reid LGBT+ rights director at Human Rights Watch.

“Governments should swiftly reform national medical systems and laws that require this now officially outdated diagnosis.”

Micah Grzywnowicz, co-chair of the executive board of LGBT+ advocacy group ILGA-Europe, said the update to ICD-11 “represents a monumental shift in the global health for trans and gender diverse people”.

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[Editor’s Note: This article was written by Sabrina Barr and originally published at the Independent. Title changed by P&P.]