This page is part of the AU Core (v1.0.0: R1) based on FHIR (HL7® FHIR® Standard) R4. This is the current published version. For a full list of available versions, see the Directory of published versions

Sex and Gender

This page addresses how sex and gender related concepts can be structured in FHIR and conformant to AU Core.

AU Core places Must Support on some concepts and inherits sex and gender related elements localised in AU Base, which has considered and adopted the logical data element models provided by HL7 International’s Cross Paradigm Implementation Guide: Gender Harmony - Sex and Gender Representation, Edition 1 specification (Gender Harmony IG).

The table below provides an overview of the sex and gender concepts that are included in AU Core by definition, or through reference to AU Base.

Legend:

Supported: The sex or gender related concept is marked as Must Support.

Localised: The sex or gender related concept is localised for use in an Australian context but is not marked as Must Support.

Not localised: The sex or gender related concept is not localised for use in an Australian context.

Sex and Gender Concept	AU Core Patient	AU Core Practitioner	AU Base Related Person
Administrative Gender (Patient.gender)
Name to Use
Pronouns
Gender Identity
Recorded Sex or Gender
Sex Assigned at Birth

Administrative Gender (Patient.gender)

AU Core supports the exchange of Administrative Gender, i.e. the basic Patient.gender property, as a Must Support element in AU Core Patient. As per AU Base, the Patient.gender value SHALL be regarded as a Recorded Sex or Gender. AU Core adopts without change, the implementation guidance defined in the Administrative Gender (Patient.gender) section of the AU Base Sex and Gender page.

Name to Use

AU Core supports the exchange of the Name to Use data element (as defined in the HL7 Gender Harmony IG), name.use is a Must Support element in AU Core Patient. It is important to note that, name.period is not a Must Support element. AU Core adopts without change, the implementation guidance defined in the Name to Use section of the AU Base Sex and Gender page.

Pronouns​

AU Core supports the exchange of the Pronouns data element (as defined in the HL7 Gender Harmony IG), the Individual Pronouns extension is a Must Support element in AU Core Patient, with the value element of the extension constrained to be Australian Pronouns (extensible). AU Core adopts without change, the implementation guidance defined in the Pronouns section of the AU Base Sex and Gender page.

Gender Identity

AU Core supports the exchange of the Gender Identity data element (as defined in the HL7 Gender Harmony IG), the Individual Gender Identity extension is a Must Support element in AU Core Patient, with the value element of the extension constrained to be Gender Identity Response (extensible). AU Core adopts without change, the implementation guidance defined in the Gender Identity section of the AU Base Sex and Gender page.

Sex Assigned at Birth

Implementers are advised that AU Core Sex Assigned At Birth is under consideration for Must Support in AU Core. Input is welcome, please see FHIR-44857.

In AU Core, Sex Assigned at Birth is profiled as AU Core Sex Assigned At Birth. While elements within AU Core Sex Assigned at Birth are Must Support, usage of the profile is not Must Support in AU Core Patient. That profile provides an implementation of the guidance in the Sex Assigned at Birth section of the AU Base Sex and Gender page.