Which statement is true regarding gender dysphoria in children and disorders of sex development?

• A. It cannot occur with other conditions.
• B. It will always resolve without treatment.
• C. It requires surgical intervention.
• D. It can occur with disorders of sex development.

Answer: (D)

The overlap between gender dysphoria in children and disorders of sex development shows how gender identity can intersect with atypical sex development. Gender dysphoria involves distress or discomfort from a mismatch between a child’s experienced gender and the sex they were assigned at birth. Disorders of sex development encompass conditions where chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex characteristics are atypical. When sex development is not typical, a child may experience gender incongruence or dysphoria, especially as puberty brings hormonal changes and body changes that can amplify the sense of mismatch. This coexistence is possible because the biology of sex development and the biology of gender identity are complex and influenced by hormones, brain development, and psychosocial factors. It’s important to recognize that not all children with a DSD have gender dysphoria, and not all children with gender dysphoria have a DSD. The other statements aren’t accurate: gender dysphoria can occur with disorders of sex development, it does not always resolve without help, and surgical intervention is not universally required.