Atypical gender development: gender dysphoria
Gender dysphoria is a condition where a person experiences deep distress because their gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. It counts as atypical gender development because most people feel their identity and biological sex align.
Real World
Jazz Jennings, who came out as transgender at age five, is a widely documented case of gender dysphoria in childhood — her experience illustrates the persistent, early-onset nature of the condition described in the DSM-5.
Exam Focus
Clarify that gender dysphoria is diagnosed on persistent distress, not gender non-conformity alone — a common mark-losing error.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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