Gender Codes

Sex at birth, gender identity, and sexual orientation codes

Overview

The CoBHRM data model captures three distinct concepts:

• Sex at Birth — biological sex assigned at birth
• Gender Identity — client’s self-identified gender
• Sexual Orientation — client’s self-identified sexual orientation

Sex at Birth

Biological sex assigned at birth codes

Gender Identity

Self-identified gender codes

Sexual Orientation

Self-identified sexual orientation codes

Collection Guidelines

These fields should be self-reported by the client. Do not make assumptions based on appearance or other characteristics.

Best Practices

1. Ensure privacy — collect in a private setting
2. Use client’s terminology — record what the client reports
3. Explain purpose — help clients understand why data is collected
4. Respect refusals — use code 98 when client declines

Complete Example

SEX_AT_BIRTH|GENDER_IDENTITY|SEXUAL_ORIENTATION
01|03|01

In this example:

• Sex at birth: Female (01)
• Gender identity: Cisgender (03)
• Sexual orientation: Heterosexual (01)