gender-affirming surgery

noun

gen·​der-af·​firm·​ing surgery ˈjen-dər-ə-ˈfər-miŋ- How to pronounce gender-affirming surgery (audio)
variants or gender affirmation surgery
plural gender-affirming surgeries or gender affirmation surgeries
: any of several surgical procedures that a transgender or nonbinary (see nonbinary sense c) person may choose to undergo in order to obtain physical characteristics that align with their gender identity : gender confirmation surgery
Hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgery are crucial parts of transition for many trans adults. Alleviating gender dysphoria and aligning gender expression with identity through these treatments can lower stress, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and significantly lessen suicidal ideation.Orion Rummler
Some people also identify as both nonbinary and trans. They may take hormones or undergo gender-affirming surgery, but this doesn't take away from their nonbinary identity.Suzannah Weiss
Many transgender individuals choose to undergo fertility preservation before their gender affirmation surgery if having biological children is part of their long-term goals.Romy Smith and Ro Bowman
abbreviation GAS

Examples of gender-affirming surgery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Signed into law in March 2023 by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, the ban, Senate Bill 1, barred medical providers from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to or performing gender-affirming surgeries on trans people under the age of 18. Quispe López, Them, 18 Oct. 2024 The documentary includes discussions of hate crimes, taboo questions, and the politics of gender-affirming surgery as the pair met various people during their travels. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2024 Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz star alongside Spanish trans actress Karla Sofia Gascón in the genre-jumping feature about a Mexican drug lord (Gascón) who enlists the help of a lawyer (Saldaña) to undergo gender-affirming surgery. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Sep. 2024 In early July, Hiroshima’s high court approved a trans woman’s request to alter her birth gender status without undergoing gender-affirming surgery. Chris Lau, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gender-affirming surgery 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gender-affirming surgery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

2011, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gender-affirming surgery was in 2011

Dictionary Entries Near gender-affirming surgery

Cite this Entry

“Gender-affirming surgery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gender-affirming%20surgery. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

gender-affirming surgery

noun
variants or gender affirmation surgery
plural gender-affirming surgeries or gender affirmation surgeries
: any of several surgical procedures that a transgender or nonbinary person may choose to undergo in order to obtain physical characteristics that align with their gender identity : gender confirmation surgery
In addition to … hormone therapy, gender-affirming surgery … aims to surgically align physical characteristics with one's identity. These surgical interventions target sex-specific physical characteristics such as genitals (e.g., vaginoplasty), chest (e.g., mastectomy), face, gonads, voice, and Adam's apple.Tim C. van de Grif et al., Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy
Gender affirmation surgeries … include a variety of surgical procedures intended to support transgender individuals experiencing gender dysphoria, which can help align their physical sexual characteristics to their desired gender expression.Omar Hassan et al., New Imaging Techniques
  • abbreviation GAS
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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