STANDARDS OF CARE FOR HARRY BENJAMIN'S SYNDROME Contents: I. Introduction  II. Purpose III. Scope IV. Principles V. Definition and Etiology VI. Epidemiological Considerations  VII. Diagnostic Nomenclatures VIII. Classification and Terminology IX. Requirements for Professionals  X. Diagnosis and Treatment  XI. Treatment of HBS in Children  XII. Treatment of HBS in Adolescents XIII. Treatment of HBS in Adults XIV. HBS along with other conditions XV. Genital, Breast, and Other Surgery for the Female Patient XVI. Breast and Genital Surgery for the Male Patient XVII. HBS along with other conditions. XVIII. Artificially Induced HBS I. INTRODUCTION In the recent past Harry Benjamin’s Syndrome (HBS) has been known as transsexualism, an obsolete term that neither accurately describes nor effectively communicates the complexities inherent to its condition. Today it is recognized as an intersex condition. Harry Benjamin’s Syndrome (HBS) is named in honor of the man who recognized the condition as a medical anomaly and advanced its treatment, Dr. Harry Benjamin. It was through his compassionate understanding and abiding interest that he came to recognize and define the condition. Over the course of his career, with dedication and vision, he developed and refined treatment methods to help people affected by what we now know as HBS. It should be clearly understood that Harry Benjamin’s Syndrome is not a choice, any more than Turner’s Syndrome or Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) is a choice. Nor is it a result of nurture (i.e. artificially developed through parenting and environment). HBS is an inborn biological anomaly, a natural occurrence, as are all intersex conditions. Top II. PURPOSE The purpose of the Standards of Care for Harry Benjamin’s Syndrome (SOC-HBS) is to codify HBS and establish a new paradigm for the effective management of patients afflicted with Harry Benjamin’s Syndrome (HBS). Top III. SCOPE The Standards of Care for Harry Benjamin’s Syndrome (SOC-HBS) are intended to serve · as an educational aid - to present a clear understanding of HBS to the global community at large. · as a reference source - to offer coherent medical treatment guidelines for health care professionals. · as a motivating source for change - to factually challenge current treatment methods and suggest improvements. · as a summons - to petition the scientific community to refresh and broaden research efforts and to advance essential perspective. Professionals are encouraged to utilize this document to enhance their understanding of HBS and develop appropriate and effective treatment strategies for their patients. Persons born with HBS, their families, social institutions, and legal bodies may use the SOC-HBS to gain a comprehensive understanding of HBS and an awareness of the principles by which it is currently understood. Top IV. PRINCIPLES Principle 1: Harry Benjamin’s Syndrome is an intersex condition. HBS is a biological variation in human sexual formation where the sex indicated by the phenotype and the genotype is opposite the morphological sex of the brain.   Principle 2: Persons born with Harry Benjamin’s Syndrome seek rehabilitation of their phenotype and endocrinology to accord with their sex. Persons born with HBS have both male and female characteristics. Sex (i.e. gender identity or awareness of sex) is irreversibly determined by the structure of the brain. Sex organs (genitals) are determined genetically through chromosome selection during conception and gestation. Harry Benjamin’s Syndrome is the untenable situation arising from the contradiction of having mismatched brain sex and sex organs (genitals). HBS, then, is concerned with altering one’s physical sex to match one’s brain sex; it is about recognizing and respecting gender norms. Principle 3: Harry Benjamin’s Syndrome is an ancient and persistent form of human nature, not a modern discovery.