CDC considers more medical codes for gender transition and detransition

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(The Center Square) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention heard from medical advocacy group Do No Harm on Tuesday on adding new medical codes for patient histories of gender transition or detransition.

Do No Harm has advocated for removing diversity, equity and inclusion policies from medical school admissions and education and against gender-transition hormones or surgeries for minors. The group has proposed multiple codes classifying aspects of the gender transition and detransition process and in September, proposed the first code strictly for gender detransition, which was accepted by the CDC. The CDC plans to implement the code on Oct. 1. 

A code specifically indicating detransition will help medical professionals know their patients’ medical history and needs better, but it will also strengthen research in a field where research is less abundant than for other conditions, Do No Harm’s medical director has argued. 

“The lack of a specific code for detransition makes these individuals effectively invisible to the healthcare system, obscuring their medical needs and limiting real-world research, follow‑up care, and outcome monitoring that responsible practice requires,” said Kurt Micelli, the group’s medical director, in a statement.

But on Tuesday, Micelli presented more diagnosis codes to the CDC indicating personal histories of social gender transition, medical gender transition, surgical gender transition, intersex surgery, unspecified gender transition and gender detransition.

“The new diagnosis codes we’re proposing would help generate valuable research data, support evidence-based health standards, and enhance patient care,” Micelli said. “We encourage the agency to adopt our newly proposed codes so that we can further improve the quality of research and care for those suffering from gender dysphoria.”

Prisha Mosley, a 28-year-old woman who underwent surgery and hormone therapy as a teen but detransitioned at the age of 24, welcomes the addition of the proposed codes.

"I'm grateful for the prospect of ICD codes for my doctors to use to accurately record and report data about what happened to me," she told The Center Square.

New codes could also help insurers understand ongoing care needs and avoid denials due to vague coding. Mosley said they could potentially help in obtaining coverage as she tries to "heal" from what she now considers harmful medical care in her youth.