A diagnosis is made via a medical professional’s evaluation, based on specific criteria.
Medical professionals diagnose transvestic disorder when:
- Individuals have been repeatedly and intensely aroused by cross-dressing, and the arousal has been expressed in fantasies, intense urges, or behaviours.
- As a result, individuals feel greatly distressed or become less able to function well (at work, in their family, or in interactions with friends).
- They have had the condition for six (6) months or more.
Most cross-dressers do not have transvestic disorder.
Mental Health Matters 