The Japanese Society of Gender Identity Disorder said Sunday that it plans to launch a certification system for doctors who are GID specialists and will aim to get gender reassignment surgery covered by national health insurance.
The plan was formalized after the society's board meeting Sunday.
Under the proposed certification system, doctors will be required to have a track record of accomplishments in the field, including published academic papers, and to undergo training to obtain expertise in hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery.
They will also be taught how to assist GID children at school and in the community.
According to the society, GID patients often go abroad to receive inexpensive reassignment surgery because it is not covered by the national health insurance system. But they also sometimes suffer aftereffects.
Mikiya Nakatsuka, professor of Okayama University and head of the society, said the certification system will ensure appropriate GID treatment by qualified doctors, which "will eventually lead to health insurance coverage of GID treatment."
In Japan, a special law was enacted in 2004 to allow GID patients to change their registered gender. More than 5,000 people have so far undergone reassignment surgery.