Paul A. Walker (psychologist)

For other people named Paul Walker, see Paul Walker (disambiguation).

Paul Allen Walker (September 29, 1946 – November 16, 1991) was an American social psychologist and founding president of HBIGDA, the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association now known as WPATH, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health in 1979. He also served as director of the Janus Information Facility.

Walker graduated with a doctorate in social psychology from the University of Rochester in 1976. He performed research with John Money via the Office of Psychohormonal Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Walker began a sex offender treatment program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas in 1976.[1] He also ran the Gender Clinic.[2]

Walker started his private practice in the early 1980s, moved his office to 1952 Union Street, San Francisco, California, treating transgender patients, including those with gender dysphoria, who may identify themselves with the brain of one gender, caught in the body of the opposite gender, commonly known as transsexual. Walker became openly gay, and lived on Castro Street, the most popular district in San Francisco for gays, as he continued his excellent practice to especially help patients to seek sex reassignment surgery (SRS) almost until his sad death. Walker's diagnosis for all his patients was usually just "anxiety" to keep it private and confidential between the doctor and patient until beginning the real life test, now commonly called transitioning. Before SRS, transitioning is required for 12 continuous months of living in the gender role that is congruent with the true gender identity. The recommendation for SRS needs approval from two doctors. Either may be a psychiatrist or psychologist.

Walker died of complications from HIV/AIDS.

Selected publications

  • Meyer WJ 3rd, Webb A, Stuart CA, Finkelstein JW, Lawrence B, Walker PA (1986). Physical and hormonal evaluation of transsexual patients: a longitudinal study. Arch Sex Behav. 1986 Apr;15(2):121-38. PMID 3013122
  • Meyer WJ 3rd, Walker PA, Emory LE, Smith ER (1985). Physical, metabolic, and hormonal effects on men of long-term therapy with medroxyprogesterone acetate. Fertil Steril. 1985 Jan;43(1):102-9. PMID 3155506
  • Meyer WJ 3rd, Furlanetto RW, Walker PA (1982). The effect of sex steroids on radioimmunoassayable plasma somatomedin C concentrations. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1982 Dec;55(6):1184-7. PMID 6215421
  • Meyer WJ 3rd, Finkelstein JW, Stuart CA, Webb A, Smith ER, Payer AF, Walker PA (1981). Physical and hormonal evaluation of transsexual patients during hormonal therapy. Arch Sex Behav. 1981 Aug;10(4):347-56. PMID 6794543
  • Payer AF, Meyer WJ 3rd, Walker PA (1979). The ultrastructural response of human Leydig cells to exogenous estrogens. Andrologia. 1979;11(6):423-36. PMID 532984
  • Meyer WJ 3rd, Walker PA, Wiedeking C, Money J, Kowarski AA, Migeon CJ, Borgaonkar DS (1977). Pituitary function in adult males receiving medroxyprogesterone acetate. Fertil Steril. 1977 Oct;28(10):1072-6. PMID 908446
  • Walker PA (1976). Attitudes toward drug use and sexual behavior. 166 pp. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Rochester
  • Walker PA, Money J (1972). Prenatal androgenization of females. A review. Hormones. 1972;3(2):119-28. PMID 4631985

References

  1. ↑ Thomas, Kathy (April 20, 1981). Psychologist says no cure exists for habitual rapist. Galveston Daily News
  2. ↑ Wright, Lawrence (May 1992). The Case for castration. Texas Monthly

External links