Biological Sex: Biological sex is established by a medical assessment of genitalia in utero or at birth; subsequently, individuals are typically reared according to their biological sex, with little additional thought given to an individual's psychological and behavioral self-identification. Many transgender individuals report having experienced conflict over such gender assignment throughout childhood and puberty, while it is also common for conflict to arise later in life.

Gender Dysphoria: Gender dysphoria is a discomfort characterized by a feeling of incongruity with the physical gender assigned at birth. Frequently misunderstood by the individual, these feelings can remain suppressed and hidden from others. Unhealthy coping mechanisms include self-abuse, addiction, relationship difficulties, and suicidal tendencies,' these behaviors may mask gender dysphoria, making it difficult for care providers to detect. When conflict with one's gender identity is triggered (such as by a life change or personal crisis), the discomfort for many may reach crisis proportions. Gender dysphoria may be experienced by genetic males or females of any cultural, ethnic, or socioeconomic background.

Gender Presentation: The manner in which an individual expresses their gender identity to others. Clothing, speech patterns, physical movements, and postures of the body are all aspects of gender presentation.

Gender Pronouns: Despite an obvious change in gender, many people still refer to transgendered individuals by their biological sex at birth. Others, when meeting transgendered individuals for the first time, wonder: "How do I refer to this individual? What pronoun should I use?" Following the premise that transgendered individuals (like their nontransgendered counterparts) have the human right to individually explore and determine self-identification, one should refer to them on the basis of their current presentation or their specified pronoun preference. If you are unsure, ask!

Sexual Orientation: The term sexual orientation refers to the gender(s) or sex(es) of persons to whom an individual is sexually attracted. This could be the same, the opposite gender, sex, or both. Sexual orientation is often confused with a person's gender identity, but they are distinct characteristics. The sexual orientation of a transgendered person is classified by their preferred gender identity. For example, a male-to-female transsexual who is attracted to biological women might self-identify as a lesbian. On the other hand, a female-to-male transsexual who is attracted to biological 'women might identify as heterosexual. There are also transgendered men and women who are attracted to other transgendered persons, as well as those who are asexual or not attracted to anyone. 
 

Transsexual: Transsexuals are individuals who feel an overwhelming desire to permanently live their lives as members of the opposite gender. For such persons, an interest in crossliving, sex hormones, and often (but not always) genital reassignment surgery is most often paramount. Transsexuals commonly experience the most acute effects of gender dysphoria. This phenomenon generally commences during early childhood and remains throughout an adult's lifetime. If suppressed, gender- identity issues may be brought to the surface during intense periods of change or personal crisis. 

Transgenderists: Transgenderists are individuals who live in role part- or full-time as a member of the opposite gender. Sometimes, their transgender identity is carried into the workplace; more often it is not, Emotionally, these individuals need to maintain certain aspects relating to both their masculinity and femininity. Understanding this process can be difficult, particularly in situations where an individual's gender identity constantly fluctuates or where he or she is unaware that the transgenderist identity exists. Transgenderists are frequently interested in hormones and occasionally in cosmetic surgery and castration, but not genital reassignment surgery.

Intersexed: Intersexed individuals are those with medically established physical or hormonal attributes of both the male and female sexes. Some, but not all, of these individuals self-identify as transgendered. Though these conditions are relatively rare, they are well documented in the literature of general medicine and endocrinology.

Androgynes: In contrast with transgenderists, androgynes are individuals who intentionally create ambiguous gender presentations by adopting characteristics o both genders or neither. Examples of individuals who self-identify as androgynes include those who present bi-gendered mannerisms, those who intentionally wear androgynous or gender-neutral clothing, and those who do not wish to be identified as either male or female. An individual who self-identifies as an androgyne may wish to be identified as both male and female. Some individuals may self-identify as androgynes to fulfill identity needs; others may do so to challenge social stereotypes. 
 

MTF and FTM: MTF and FTM are acronyms that refer, respectively, to "male-to-female" and "female-to-male" transitions. These designations identify which direction of transition-or which established identity-a transgendered individual has chosen. For example, a biologically determined male who self-identifies as female would be known as an MTF transsexual, crossdresser, or transgenderist. The acronym FTM is seen more often in print, because MTF issues have largely dominated professional and transgender consumer resources, with the result that readers frequently assume that materials referring to transgendered individuals or concerns refer to MTF individuals or concerns, when not otherwise specified.

Transgendered man/woman: This term, frequently confusing for nontransgendered individuals, refers to a transgendered person's gender identity, NOT the gender assigned at birth. For example, a transgendered man (sometimes called transman, for short) is a person who was assigned the sex female at birth and has a male or masculine gender identity.