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
Orion RummlerSome 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
Suzannah WeissMany 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
Romy Smith and Ro BowmanExamples of gender-affirming surgery in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The measure would also ban gender-affirming surgery or medications for minors.
—Kate Zernike, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Gender-affirming care rare most common among young adults A 2023 study in the medical journal JAMA Network Open found gender-affirming surgeries were most popular with young adults.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
Emilia Pérez is a Spanish-language musical crime drama that stars Saldaña as Rita, a lawyer tasked with helping the movie's title character (Gascón) obtain a gender-affirming surgery to escape life as a cartel boss.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
The report said authors found low certainty of evidence on the effects of gender-affirming surgeries on adolescents including suicidality, depression, asexual function, quality of life and regret.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gender-affirming surgery
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Kate Zernike, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Gender-affirming care rare most common among young adults A 2023 study in the medical journal JAMA Network Open found gender-affirming surgeries were most popular with young adults.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
Emilia Pérez is a Spanish-language musical crime drama that stars Saldaña as Rita, a lawyer tasked with helping the movie's title character (Gascón) obtain a gender-affirming surgery to escape life as a cartel boss.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
The report said authors found low certainty of evidence on the effects of gender-affirming surgeries on adolescents including suicidality, depression, asexual function, quality of life and regret.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 12 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
Tim C. van de Grif et al., Journal of Sex & Marital TherapyGender 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
Omar Hassan et al., New Imaging Techniques- — abbreviation GAS
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