Glossary

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects someone’s ability to communicate and interact socially with others. While it can be diagnosed at any point in life, signs of ASD normally appear within the first two years of life, thus giving it the “developmental disorder” title. While there have been multiple genes that have strong ties to ASD, research has yet to find conclusive evidence of a single cause for the disorder. It is much more likely that ASD arises from a web of genetic and environmental factors that cannot be distilled down to a single cause.

Some symptoms of ASD include difficulty understanding nonverbal social cues, trouble maintaining conversations, and restricted/repetitive/stereotyped interests or behaviors (stimming). People with ASD may also experience delayed cognitive and learning skills. Symptoms of ASD are very similar to those of Asperger’s syndrome, and not without reason. Autism spectrum disorder previously had Asperger’s syndrome under its umbrella. Asperger’s was discontinued as a diagnosis in 2013 due to overlap in symptoms.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• National Institute of Mental Health

• Harvard Health Publishing

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Avoidant personality disorder (AVPD) is a mental disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of poor self esteem and fear of rejection. People with avoidant personality disorder are likely to avoid social situations due to extreme fear, possibly damaging relationships and shirking responsibilities in the process. AVPD is classified as a Cluster C personality disorder, a category of disorders that relates to anxiety or fear. Telltale signs of AVPD in children include extreme shyness around others and expressions of low self-esteem.

Avoidant personality disorder is similar to social anxiety disorder in many ways. People with social anxiety disorder tend to avoid social situations out of fear of being judged, while those with AVPD will be avoidant out of low self-esteem. The difference between the two disorders is anxiety; it is required for social anxiety disorder but not a necessary component of AVPD. 

• National Library of Medicine

• Cleveland Clinic

• Healthline

Bigender

Bigender is a gender identity which indicates that someone identifies as two or more genders simultaneously. Bigender is widely categorized as a nonbinary identity, but someone who is bigender might not identify as nonbinary. This is because being nonbinary often indicates that someone does not fall on either side of the traditional gender binary, while a bigender person may fall on either side simultaneously.

The word “bigender” was first recorded in 1988 during the 2nd International Lesbian and Gay Health Foundation Conference. It was mentioned in the definition of the word Androgyne, “a person who can comfortably express either alternative gender role in a variety of socially acceptable environments (includes bigenderist).

• Spectrum ID

• Them

• VeryWell Mind

Bilateral Mastectomy

A bilateral (or double) mastectomy refers to a surgery that removes both breasts. It is most often prescribed as a way to remove breast cancer or prevent it in those who may have a high risk for breast cancer. Bilateral mastectomies are recommended for patients who already have or are at high risk of having breast cancer in both breasts. It can also be performed as a preventative measure to completely eliminate the possibility of developing breast cancer in the remaining breast. This procedure is similar to top surgery, a form of gender-affirming surgery that also removes tissue from the chest, but the two surgeries differ in goals and results.

There are multiple different types of bilateral mastectomies, characterized by the amount of tissue removed. Skin-sparing or nipple-sparing mastectomies remove just the breast tissue, preserving the skin around the breasts and the nipples. After that, there is the total or simple mastectomy, that removes all breast tissue along with the skin and nipples. Finally, in rare circumstances, doctors may suggest radical mastectomies, which remove breast tissue, skin, nipples, sentinel lymph nodes and chest muscles. This is only recommended in scenarios in which it is absolutely necessary.

• Healthline

• Cancer Center

• Gender Confirmation