gender-affirming care

American

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

noun

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.

Etymology

Origin of gender-affirming care

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It marks the first known time the DOJ has sought such information on gender-affirming care for a criminal probe.

From Salon • May 22, 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

For now, dozens of hospitals across California still provide gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and surgical procedures.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2025

They either live in states where pediatric gender-affirming care is legal, or they have the resources to travel across state lines to get it.

From Slate • Jan. 31, 2025

However, experts said that because Medicaid is jointly funded by states and the federal government, California leaders could choose to use state funds to pay for gender-affirming care.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023