The American Psychiatric Association is the world’s largest psychiatric organization and publisher of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.

• APA Official Actions: Position Statement on Access to Care for Transgender and Gender Variant Individuals

  Jack Drescher, M.D., Ellen Haller, M.D., APA Caucus of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Psychiatrists. Revised 2017 Eric Yarbrough, M.D., APA Caucus of LGBTQ Psychiatrists and the Council on Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities, APA Official Actions: Position Statement on Access to Care for Transgender and Gender Variant Individuals (2018).

  “Significant and long-standing medical and psychiatric literature exists that demonstrates clear benefits of medical and surgical interventions to assist gender variant individuals seeking transition. … Access to medical care (both medical and surgical) positively impacts the mental health of transgender and gender variant individuals," and states the following:

  1. Recognizes that appropriately evaluated transgender and gender variant individuals can benefit greatly from medical and surgical gender transition treatments.
  2. Advocates for removal of barriers to care and supports both public and private health insurance coverage for gender transition treatment.
  3. Opposes categorical exclusions of coverage for such medically necessary treatment when prescribed by a physician.
  4. Supports evidence-based coverage of all gender-affirming procedures which would help the mental well-being of gender diverse individuals"

  Date: 2018