gender-affirming surgery

noun

gen·​der-af·​firm·​ing surgery ˈjen-dər-ə-ˈfər-miŋ- 

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

But somehow, a Spanish-language musical drama about a Mexican cartel leader who wants to undergo gender-affirming surgery — directed by gritty French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, who has no experience working in the song-and-dance genre — is the toast of Cannes. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 May 2024

As for gender-affirming surgeries for minors, experts say these procedures are extremely rare and are largely viewed as adult procedures. —Allison Novelo, CBS News, 21 May 2024

One of them requested emails from school employees and 20 physicians and clinicians, most of whom are affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine and provide gender-affirming surgery and medical care. —Lilly Price, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 2024

Alabama: On January 11, 2024, a court ruled that enforcement of a ban on gender-affirming surgery could begin while challenges move through the court. —Danielle Marie Holland, Parents, 19 Apr. 2024

By Chad de Guzman April 3, 2024 7:15 AM EDT Hong Kong no longer requires transgender people to undergo full gender-affirming surgery to change their legal gender markers in their IDs, more than a year after the Chinese enclave’s top court called the requirement unconstitutional. —Chad De Guzman, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024

From 2016 to 2020, roughly 48,000 trans people in the U.S. received gender-affirming surgeries. —Bashar Hassan, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2024

Taking puberty blockers could also prevent the need for future gender-affirming surgeries, Forcier said — such as if a child assigned female at birth takes blockers, preventing the growth of breasts. —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024

The filing says that Doe received inconsistent access to hormone replacement therapy and was denied gender-affirming surgery despite recommendations from two psychiatrists to treat gender dysphoria. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

2011, in the meaning defined above

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