Commentary: Problems with the Sexual Disorders Sections of DSM-5

Abstract

There are a number of problems with the sexual disorders sections of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition. These problems must be understood in a historical context, namely the evolution of criteria for psychosexual disorders from DSM-II (1968) to DSM-5 (2013). There are many inconsistencies in the DSM-5 criteria for different sexual disorders. Given these inconsistencies—and the history of diagnostic criteria for homosexuality and gender identity disorder from DSM-II to DSM-5—it is possible that, like homosexuality, DSM-5 gender dysphoria could disappear from future editions of the manual. Even if that does not happen, there are numerous problems with the DSM-5 sexual disorders that require attention.

KEYWORDS:

• DSM-5
• paraphilias
• pedophilia
• gender dysphoria

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Colin A. Ross

Colin A. Ross, MD, is the president of The Colin A. Ross Institute for Psychological Trauma. He has published 180 papers and 27 books, many of them dealing with trauma and dissociation. He is a past president of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.