The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (HBIGDA), is a professional organization devoted to the understanding and treatment of

gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent, and consistent with the ...

and gender dysphoria, and creating standardized treatment for transgender and gender variant people. WPATH was founded in September 1979 by endocrinologist and

sexologist Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behaviors, and functions. The term ''sexology'' does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sexuality, such as social criticism. Sexologists a ...

Harry Benjamin, with the goal of creating an international community of professionals specializing in treating gender variance.

Organization

Membership

Professionals include anyone working in disciplines such as medicine, psychology, law, social work, counseling, psychotherapy, family studies, sociology, anthropology, speech and voice therapy and sexology. Non-professionals may also join, paying the same membership fee, but without voting privileges. The organization is funded by its membership and by donations and grants from non-commercial sources.

Regional organizations

WPATH is affiliated with several regional organizations, including the European Professional Association for Transgender Health, the United States Professional Association for Transgender Health and ASIAPATH.

Standards of Care

WPATH publishes the Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, educates professionals and consumers, sponsors scientific conferences, and provides ethical guidelines for professionals.Wong, Gillian (June 17, 2009)
China preps 1st guidelines for sex change surgery.
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The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' The first version of the Standards of Care were published in 1979.Figures, K. (2007). Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association Is Founded. In Faderman, Lillian & Retter, Yolanda (Eds.). ''Great Events from History: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Events, 1848-2006'' Salem Press, Version 7 was published in 2011. WPATH released Version 8 in 2022.

History

The organization was originally named after Harry Benjamin, one of the earliest physicians to work with transgender people.Allee, Kegan M. "Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association". In ''Encyclopedia of gender and society, Volume 1'', p. 402. SAGE,

Presidents

* Paul A. Walker, Ph.D., 1979–1981 * Donald R. Laub, M.D., 1981–1983 * Milton T. Edgerton, M.D., 1983–1985 * Ira B. Pauly, M.D., 1985–1987 * Aaron T. Bilowitz, M.D., 1987–1989 * Jan Walinder, M.D., 1989–1991 * Leah Schaefer, Ed.D., 1991–1995 * Friedmann Pfaefflin, M.D. 1995–1997 * Richard Green, J.D., 1997–1999 * Alice Webb, DHS, 1999 * Eli Coleman, Ph.D., 1999–2003 * Walter Meyer III, M.D., 2003–2005 * Stan Monstrey, M.D., 2005–2007 *

Stephen Whittle Stephen Thomas Whittle, (born 29 May 1955) is a British legal scholar and activist with the transgender activist group Press for Change. Since 2007, he has been Professor of Equalities Law in the School of Law at Manchester Metropolitan Unive ...

, OBE, 2007–2009 * Walter O.Bockting, Ph.D., L.P., 2009–2011 * Lin Fraser, Ed.D., 2011–2013 * Jamison Green, Ph.D., 2013–2015 * Gail Knudson, M.D., FRCPC, 2016–2018 * Vin Tangpricha, M.D., Ph.D., 2018–2020 *Walter Pierre Bouman, M.D., Ph.D., 2020–2022 * Marci Bowers, M.D., 2022–2024

References

{{Authority control Transgender and medicine International LGBT organizations LGBT professional associations Transgender organizations in the United States International medical and health organizations Non-profit organizations based in Illinois Organizations established in 1979 Transgender studies