Gender-Affirming Care in Wichita, KS
The Internal Medicine providers at KU Wichita have several years of experience and education on gender-affirming care and LGTBQ+ healthcare. We offer a safe space for the LGBTQ community.
What is Gender Dysphoria?
Gender dysphoria is the feeling of discomfort distress one feels due to a mismatch between gender identity—the personal sense of one’s own gender—and the sex assigned at birth.
Who May Experience Gender Dysphoria?
A physician will assign a sex at birth, usually based on external genitalia. When a sex assigned at birth does not match gender identity, one may be considered transgender.
Some people who are transgender may experience gender dysphoria, meaning they will feel psychological distress due to the conflict between sex assigned at birth and their gender identity.
People who experience gender dysphoria commonly identify as transgender.
What Causes Gender Dysphoria?
There is no known “cause” of gender dysphoria.
Evidence for biologic basis – Although the mechanisms remain unclear, there is some evidence for a biologic basis of gender identity [9]. Evidence for a biologic basis for gender identity primarily includes:
- Data on gender identity in intersex individuals (also known as differences of sex development [DSD]).
- Data from twins showing greater transgender concordance among identical twins relative to fraternal twins
- Neuroanatomical differences associated with gender identity
- Possible influence of prenatal androgen exposure
Because sample sizes of most studies on this subject are small, further research is required to assign specific biologic mechanisms for gender identity
Symptoms will be similar to definition: long standing discomfort with the incongruence between gender identity and external sexual anatomy at birth.
How is Gender Dysphoria Diagnosed?
The condition of gender dysphoria or gender incongruence is often diagnosed in collaboration with mental health providers and interview with the patient.
Core components of the DSM-5 diagnosis of gender dysphoria include longstanding discomfort with the incongruence between gender identity and external sexual anatomy at birth along with interference with social, school, or other areas of function.
What Kind of Support Does KU Wichita Offer?
If you feel that you may be under stress and experiencing gender dysphoria, we can help. We have providers who are specially trained to provide the care you deserve.
KU Wichita Internal Medicine provides gender-affirming care including:
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Lab work to monitor hormone levels
- Letters of support and medical necessity for surgical procedures
- Name or gender marker change on documents
KU Wichita Internal Medicine offers a large resource and connection to LGBTQ+ resources including handouts and contact information for other care providers such as counselors and surgeons.
Gender Affirming Care at KU Wichita Internal Medicine
Gender-affirming care is tailored to each patient. This may include hormone therapy of different combinations depending on what the patient’s long-term goals and desires for their future are. Some patients may choose to do hormone therapy only and never have any type of gender-affirming surgery, while others desire surgery. The reason patient’s choose different treatments can also vary. These reasons can include fertility concerns, the cost of the surgery or their sexual orientation.