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
However, Missouri’s ban on gender-affirming surgeries for minors, a frequent focus of Republicans, does not expire.
—Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
Also taking effect Tuesday are provisions in the state’s health and human services budget that say Medicaid recipients are no longer covered for gender-affirming surgery or hormone therapy.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025
Related Articles Denver Health pauses gender-affirming surgeries for youth to comply with Trump order, preserve federal funds
Swedish cannot say whether those treated were Eastern Star staff, residents or construction workers because of privacy laws, Jared said.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2025
Illinois law bars license plate reading technology to aid federal agencies to track undocumented immigrants and for out-of-state agencies to use the technology to track those who seek abortions and gender-affirming surgery.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
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Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
Also taking effect Tuesday are provisions in the state’s health and human services budget that say Medicaid recipients are no longer covered for gender-affirming surgery or hormone therapy.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025
Related Articles Denver Health pauses gender-affirming surgeries for youth to comply with Trump order, preserve federal funds
Swedish cannot say whether those treated were Eastern Star staff, residents or construction workers because of privacy laws, Jared said.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2025
Illinois law bars license plate reading technology to aid federal agencies to track undocumented immigrants and for out-of-state agencies to use the technology to track those who seek abortions and gender-affirming surgery.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 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 22 Jul. 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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