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
Using data from 2019, the study reported no gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youths aged 12 and under.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
The wild, drama-comedy-musical film follows Rita (Zoe Saldaña), a Mexico City lawyer, who helps a cartel leader (Karla Sofía Gascón) in search of a doctor willing to perform gender-affirming surgery in secret.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2025
But is Emilia Pérez — a film about a cartel leader who gets gender-affirming surgery and escapes a life of crime — actually good?
—Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 6 Jan. 2025
New Hampshire gender-affirming surgery for minors The Granite State will outlaw gender-affirming surgery for minors beginning Wednesday.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 31 Dec. 2024
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Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
The wild, drama-comedy-musical film follows Rita (Zoe Saldaña), a Mexico City lawyer, who helps a cartel leader (Karla Sofía Gascón) in search of a doctor willing to perform gender-affirming surgery in secret.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2025
But is Emilia Pérez — a film about a cartel leader who gets gender-affirming surgery and escapes a life of crime — actually good?
—Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 6 Jan. 2025
New Hampshire gender-affirming surgery for minors The Granite State will outlaw gender-affirming surgery for minors beginning Wednesday.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gender-affirming surgery
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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 19 Jan. 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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