Emmanuel Katto from Dubai : Expanding Gender Options Beyond M/F in OpenMRS – Suggestions Needed

Hi everyone,

I’m Emmanuel Katto from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) currently working with OpenMRS 2.5.9 (Standalone version), and I’ve run into a question regarding gender options during patient registration. By default, OpenMRS provides just M and F as gender options, but I need to know if there’s a version of OpenMRS that includes more diverse gender options, or if I need to make custom modifications to add them.

I’m a freelance developer working with some private institutions in my country that are looking to implement OpenMRS, and they specifically need to expand the gender options to be more inclusive. So, I have a few questions:

Built-in Support for Multiple Gender Options:

Is there any version of OpenMRS (either in the core or via modules) that already includes multiple gender options beyond just M and F during registration? Or will I need to update or modify the system for this? Customizing Gender Field:

If I need to modify the system, what is the best approach to expand the gender options in OpenMRS? Do I need to edit forms, update the database schema, or use an existing module for customization? Existing Solutions or Modules:

Has anyone already addressed this and used a module or customization to add more gender choices? If so, could you share how you did it or any helpful resources? Implementation for Private Institutions:

For those who have implemented OpenMRS in different settings, how have you handled gender inclusivity? Any challenges or tips in making OpenMRS more flexible in this regard? I apologize if this question has been addressed before—if so, feel free to point me to the previous discussion. Any help would be greatly appreciated, as this is a key requirement for the institutions I’m working with.

Thanks so much! Regards Emmanuel Katto