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Abstract
The International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD), published by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the 10th version of the diagnostic manual commonly used in clinical practice in Germany for the classification of diseases and mental disorders. The WHO is currently revising parts of the diagnostic manual it published. This article provides a brief overview of the approach and goals of the revision process.[ 1 ] A separate section discusses in detail the changes and proposed diagnostic guidelines for sexual disorders. All 194 WHO Member States use the ICD as a tool for collecting and communicating health information. The ICD is intended to serve the following purposes, among others: monitoring epidemics or threats to public health and the burden of disease, the identification of vulnerable risk populations, facilitating access to adequate health care, research into effective treatment measures, the basis for the development of nursing guidelines and standards for clinical practice, the formulation of obligations for WHO Member States to provide free or subsidized health care to their populations. The ICD revision process follows WHO guidelines (WHO 2012). The ultimate goal is to support WHO member states in reducing the burden of disease. The focus should be on clinical benefit in order to simplify identification and treatment options. The revision process is characterized by multidisciplinary, global and multilingual development in continuous exchange between stakeholders involved. In order to achieve the integrity of the system, independence from the pharmaceutical industry or other commercial influences must be guaranteed. To this end, the WHO convenes experts who work in working groups[ 2 ] to develop proposals and changes to the diagnostic definitions for the relevant disorders. The working group on Sexual Disorders and Sexuality-Related Conditions was involved in the revision process at an early stage. In order to link the topics of sexual health, sexual function and gender identity, an interdisciplinary cooperation was established with the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse and the Department of Reproductive Health and Research . The responsible project group works with the secretariats of both institutions. The Department of Reproductive Health and Research represents a broad view of sexual health and human rights. As a result, the revision process of the diagnostic guidelines not only affects the psychiatric field, but the results of the ongoing process are also passed on to the ICD-11 Advisory Group for Mental Health, Andrology, Urology/Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine. The following areas were defined as provisionally responsible for the working group: sexual dysfunctions in women and men that cannot be attributed to organic diseases, what was previously known as transsexuality, paraphilic disorders, and mental and behavioral disorders that are related to sexual development and orientation (WHO 2012).
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