Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender-Nonconforming People: An Introduction

This chapter provides an overview of the Standards of Care (SOC) of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. The chapter describes the underlying principles of the SOC and highlights key issues which the clinician faces in providing the best possible care. The basic competencies for clinicians are described as well as the criteria for hormonal and surgical treatment. This chapter is a useful introduction and summary of essential elements of the SOC. Health professionals can use the SOC to help patients consider the full range of health services open to them, in accordance with their clinical needs and goals for gender expression.