gender-affirming care

American  

[jen-der uh-fur-ming kair] / ˈdʒɛn dər əˈfɜr mɪŋ ˈkɛər /

noun

1. medical, social, and psychological approaches and therapies that aim to affirm a transgender patient's identity or align their physical characteristics more closely with their gender: Many transgender Americans struggle to access gender-affirming care in their own city.

   The research team included experts in endocrinology, urology, and gender-affirming care.

   Many transgender Americans struggle to access gender-affirming care in their own city.

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Etymology

Origin of gender-affirming care

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gender-affirming care

A spokeswoman for University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said the agreement protects patient privacy and “resolves a matter principally involving certain alleged gender-affirming care billing practices.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

They also demanded that the company cover abortion and gender-affirming care in its health plans, which the company already did.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

The executive order and Kennedy declaration both define gender-affirming care as the use of puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and surgery.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Polling from Democratic think tank Searchlight Institute found that 70% of voters, including majorities of Republican and Trump voters, support anti-discrimination protections for trans Americans and around 67% support access to gender-affirming care for adults.

From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2026

Both seek gender-affirming care; only one can access it.

From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2025