transsexualism

n. a condition consisting of a persistent sense of discomfort and inappropriateness relating to one’s anatomical sex, with a persistent wish to be rid of one’s genitals and to live as a member of the other sex. Those with this condition often seek to change their sex through surgical and hormonal means (see sex reassignment). Transsexualism is characterized as a gender identity disorder in DSM–IV–TR, where its diagnosis is applicable only if the condition is not due to another mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, and it is not associated with an intersex condition or genetic abnormality. In DSM–5, the discomfort or distress that may be associated with one’s sense of gender incongruence, not one’s transsexual identification per se, is given primacy through the inclusion of gender dysphoria in place of gender identity disorder as a diagnostic class. —transsexual adj., n.

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Psychology term of the day

October 9th 2024

emergency call system

a portable device that summons immediate assistance for an individual who, due to illness or an impairment, may not be able to reach a telephone in an emergency. The device, which may be worn (e.g., on the wrist, around the neck) or carried, is generally a noisemaker, a one-way alerting device (e.g., an alarm), or an intercom that may be used to contact a neighbor, family member, or 24-hour monitoring station staffed by trained personnel. Often used by people in their homes, emergency call systems are also used in hospitals, long-term care institutions, and assisted living facilities.