The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) is the major Italian Center for research, monitoring and technical-scientific consulting on the topic of public health. The ISS activities are entrusted to Departments, National Centers, Referral Centers, Technical-scientific Services, and a Notified Body for the assessment of medical device conformity.

The ISS facilities collaborate with the ministerial Department of Health, Regional Boards and the whole National Health System to steer health policies on the basis of scientific evidence.
The ISS covers all health topics, from disease control and health promotion to fight against cancer, chronic diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, including autism issues, rare diseases, infectious diseases and addictions.

Among other ISS facilities, the Reference Center for Gender Medicine takes care of assessing how gender impacts health conditions. Indeed, the incidence, symptoms, and seriousness of many a disease are influenced by gender differences, and so are the response to therapies and adverse drug reactions, lifestyles, and the response to nutrients. In line with its goals, this Center addresses the health and well-being of transgender people by promoting research, education, and communication activities in close collaboration with other Institutions, clinical and research centers, and transgender associations.

Conceived by Prof. Walter Malorni in 2017, the Infotrans portal is part of a project aimed at full social inclusion of transgender people. The Scientific Director and the Coordination Committee manage this site in collaboration with Dr. Elena Ortona, head of the Reference Center for Gender Medicine.

One of the main goals of European integration is the efficacy of the principle of Non-Discrimination, a prerequisite for the principle of equality on any ground such as gender, birth, origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. The european legislation has recently enlarged and strengthened the non-discrimination domain by construction of an organic system of laws aimed at the recognition and safeguard of the right to equal treatment. 

In this legal context, the Council of the European Union has issued the Directive 2000/43/CE, which establishes an institutional body in each member State to enforce equality of treatment. This EU Directive has been transposed into Italian law by Legislative Decree 215/2003, which has instituted an Office for equal treatment and non-discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity (Ufficio Nazionale Antidiscriminazioni Razziali, UNAR) at the Department for Equal Opportunities (Presidency of the Council of Ministers) in order to monitor and guarantee equality of treatment, and prevent racial and ethnical discrimination.

In compliance with ministerial directives, UNAR has been constantly strengthening its action of prevention of discrimination on any base such as personal and religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, in any public and private sector of society such as employment, health assistance, education, product and service accessibility, social protection.

Marina Pierdominici
Reference Center for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità

Matteo Marconi, Paola Matarrese, Angela Ruocco
Reference Center for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità

Camilla Cittadini, Lucrezia Gambardella, Luciana Giordani, Maria Teresa Pagano, Carmela Santangelo
Reference Center for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità

Sandra Marizabel Columba Cabezas
Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità

Anna Ferrigno
Technical-Scientific Service — Large Instruments and Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità

Annalisa Anzani, Department of Psychology, University of Milan “Bicocca”, Milan.

Roberto Baiocco, Department of Psychology of Developmental and Socialization Processes, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome.

Teresa Bini, Department of Health Sciences, Clinic of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Milan, AO — Polo Universitario San Paolo, Milan.

Luisa Brogonzoli, The Bridge Foundation, Milan.

Giovanni Castellini, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence.

Andrea Cavalot, Otolaryngology and Phoniatrics, Moncalieri Hospital, Turin.

Carlotta Cocchetti, Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, AOU Careggi, Florence.

Andrea Cocci, AOU Careggi, Florence.

Diego Cossu, Michele and Pietro Ferrero Hospital - Verduno, Cuneo

Marco Falcone, SC Urologic Unit, Molinette Hospital, AOU “City of Health and Science”, Turin.

Alessandra D. Fisher, Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, AOU Careggi, Florence.

Cathy La Torre, Wildside Human First Legal Associate, Bologna.

Giulia Lo Russo, Freelance Surgeon.

Francesco Lombardo, Department of Medical Pathophysiology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome.

Luigi Losco, AOU Pisana, Pisa.

Anna Lorenzetti, Department of Law, University of Bergamo, Bergamo.

Roberta Masella, Reference Center for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome.

Damiana Massara, Gender Dysphoria Interdepartmental Center Molinette (CIDIGEM), AslTO5 Local Health Authority, Piedmont Region, Turin.

Maria Cristina Meriggiola, UO Gynecology and Reproductive Pathophysiology, University of Bologna, AOU S. Orsola Malpighi, Bologna.

Flavia Monceri, Department of Humanities, Social and Educational Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso.

Girolamo Morelli, Urological Surgery, San Rossore Private Nursing Home, Pisa

Maddalena Mosconi, Service for the Adaptation between Physical and Psychic Identity (SAIFIP),  AOS. Camillo-Forlanini, Rome.

Daniela A. Nadalin, Counseling center MIT/ASL City of Bologna, Bologna.

Andrea Nacci, UO ENT Audiology and University Phoniatrics, Cisanello Hospital, AOU Pisana, Pisa.

Elena Ortona, Reference Center for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome.

Flavio Pieri, UO ORL, Bufalini Hospital, Local Health Authority of Romagna, Cesena.

Antonio Prunas, Department of Psychology, University of Milan “Bicocca”, Milan.

Jiska Ristori, Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, AOU Careggi, Florence.

Andrea Ricci Maccarini, UO ORL, Bufalini Hospital, Azienda USL della Romagna, Cesena.

Alessia Romani, Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, AOU Careggi, Florence.

Angela Ruocco, Reference Center for Gender Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome.

Cristiano Scandurra, University Federico II, Naples.

Giulia Scaravelli, National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome.

Giulia Senofonte, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome.

Paolo Valerio, University Federico II, Naples.

Anna Rita Varani, Local Health Authority, Roma 1 Distretto 2, Rome.

Roberto Vitelli, University Federico II, Naples.