WHO Declares Being A Transgender Person Is No Longer A Mental Disorder

CNN reported that 'gender incongruence' – the term used to describe transgender people – has been removed from the WHO's mental disorders chapter in its health guidelines. It is now a part of the United Nations health agency's sexual health chapter. 

A new description for 'gender incongruence' reads, "Gender variant behaviour and preferences alone are not a basis" for diagnosing a person's mental health.

The new classification appears in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), reported Time. 

CNN reported that the ICD-11, which was adopted on 25 May by the World Health Assembly in Geneva, is expected to go into full effect by 1 January, 2022. 

"The WHO's removal of 'gender identity disorder' from its diagnostic manual will have a liberating effect on transgender people worldwide," Human Rights Watch (HRW) LGBT rights director Graeme Reid said. 

"We had a better understanding that this (gender incongruence) wasn't actually a mental health condition, and leaving it there was causing stigma," Dr. Lale Say, WHO coordinator of Adolescents and at-Risk Populations team, was quoted as saying by CNN. 

"In order to reduce the stigma while ensuring access to necessary health interventions, this was placed in a different chapter," Lale added. 

A HRW report revealed that transgender people have had to go through diagnosis or other medical procedures before being recognised by the law. 

Countries have made a 'gender disorder' diagnosis mandatory before a transgender person can change his name and gender marker on official documents, according to HRW. 

For instance, Japan required transgender people to be sterilised before their new gender identity can be reflected on official documents, reported Time.

However, the outdated policy is set to be removed as Japan, as a UN member state, is responsible to put ICD-11 into practice.