Being transgender is not a mental disorder - WHO

…The declassification should lead to less stigma

GENEVA - In a historic decision, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has decided to no longer classify transgender people as mentally ill.

The organisation's 11th International Classification of Diseases (ICD) catalogue appeared early this week and "gender incongruence" (the term they use for people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were assigned at birth) has been moved out of the mental disorders chapter and into the sexual health chapter. Historically, the WHO's classification of transgender identity as pathological had many professional and human rights organisations up in arms. In a YouTube video, the WHO's coordinator for the Adolescents and at-Risk Populations team, Dr Lale Say, said the decision was taken because they had a better understanding "that this wasn't actually a mental health condition and leaving it there was causing stigma.

"So, in order to reduce the stigma while also ensuring access to necessary health interventions, this was placed in a different chapter." According to CNN, international advocacy groups hailed the decision. Julia Ehrt, Executive Director of Transgender Europe, said the move is the result of "tremendous effort by trans and gender diverse activists from around the world to insist on our humanity.

"I am elated that the WHO agrees that gender identity is not a mental illness."

OE NEWS24.