Gender Identity Clinic: Criteria for Those Seeking Surgery

The Gender Identity Clinic offers consultations, support (including weekly group support), and time-limited counselling to anyone who wishes to explore issues related to any degree of transgendered expression. This includes those who wish to manage the expression of their cross-gender feelings while remaining in their original gender role, those questioning their level of adaptation to the cross-dressing or transgendered behaviour, and those who wish to explore or pursue Sex Reassignment Surgery.

The Gender Identity Clinic subscribes to the criteria for Sex Reassignment Surgery outlined in the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), Standards of Care, 2001. The International Standards of Care specify that these represent minimum standards. The Gender Identity Clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health uses these standards as guidelines, however, in terms of the ‘real-life experience’; our clinic policy is that a two year period of successful cross-living in the felt-gender role is required before a recommendation for sex reassignment surgery can be made.

During the real-life experience, individuals seeking such surgery are expected to fulfill various criteria as outlined below and in the WPATH Standards of Care. These criteria include being able to demonstrate successful adaptation in the felt-gender role by sustaining either full-time employment, full-time student status or the equivalent of full-time voluntarism, or any combination of these three criteria. Clients become eligible for hormone therapy after one-year of completion of living full-time in the felt-gender role.

The clinic recognizes that the decision to adopt the felt-gender role may have serious consequences affecting every sphere of a person’s life from family relationships to employment, which must be considered. A clinic staff member is available to discuss the consequences of transition to the felt-gender role, and can also offer practical advice.

Existing and prospective clients should be aware that effective June 3, 2008 the Government of Ontario reinstated funding for sex reassignment surgery. The Government currently requires individuals seeking sex reassignment surgery to be approved by the CAMH Gender Identity Clinic.  Further information from the Ministry of Health can be found here. 

Gender Identity Clinic Patient Referral

The Gender Identity Clinic requires a physician referral (fax or regular mail.)  Please note that at this time we cannot accept referrals submitted by e-mail.

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