What is Gender Affirming Care? 2024 Guide
Clinical Review by:
Published:
Sep 18, 2024
,
05:21 p.m.
ET
Gender-affirming care is a supportive type of healthcare that includes medical and non-medical services, mental health and surgical care for transgender and non-binary people. The goal of Gender Affirming Care is to support an individual's gender identity when it conflicts with their gender assigned at birth.
Gender Affirming Care is crucial in our current day as more people are identifying as transgender and non-binary, and the healthcare system must adapt with this population to best serve them. Therapy is a key part of the process, but let’s run through the entirety of care programs to more fully understand what it can entail. It’s worth noting that gender-affirming care is not a one-size-fits-all concept; it depends greatly on the individual.
Understanding aspects of Gender Affirming Care
Medical
Gender-affirming medical care can start when someone is younger and progress as they age. Puberty blockers use certain hormones to block the progression of physical development during puberty. Hormone therapy is used to stimulate testosterone for those assigned female at birth and estrogen for those assigned male. This typically occurs in adolescence and is partially reversible.
Gender-affirming care also utilizes appropriate mental and physical screenings for transgender and non-binary people so that the interventions or treatments used are beneficial for each individual. It is important that regular preventative care is still a priority for transgender people. Gender-specific testing, such as pap smears, prostate exams and mammograms are all still medically beneficial and are often a regular part of gender-affirming medical care.
Surgical
Surgical intervention in Gender Affirming Care includes revision to the gynecological and urological areas, and other plastic surgery that aims to match a person's anatomy to their gender identity. The most common surgeries are known as “Top” surgery, which creates a traditional “male” chest shape or to enhance breasts. The other surgery is “Bottom” surgery, which are operations on male or female genitals or reproductive organs.
Studies have found that those who undergo Gender Affirming Surgery report lower levels of depression and suicidal thoughts and ideations. They also report higher levels of confidence and better mental health.
Mental Health
Gender affirming care also includes the mental health aspect of someone's care. The LGBTQA+ community has significantly higher documented rates of substance abuse, major depression, suicidality, tobacco use and other psychiatric diagnoses. Gender Dysphoria is a diagnosis in the DSM-5 that is used when someone's gender identity and assigned sex at birth are inconsistent and causes them distress.
Birches Health specializes in virtual counseling and offers Gender Affirming Therapy from the comfort of one's own home. Birches has specially trained counselors that can work with individuals looking to aid the transition process with counseling and more. To learn more by speaking with a Birches Health care specialist, you can click here, call 833-483-3838 or email hello@bircheshealth.com.
Non-Medical Services
There are additional less invasive, non-medical services that can be provided with gender affirming care. These can include:
Social Affirmation - using gender-affirming clothes and hairstyles. Also choosing a gender affirming name or gender pronoun and using facilities that match that gender
Speech Therapy - to help work on matching one’s tone of voice to affirm their gender
Hair Removal - remove unwanted hair by waxing, laser removal or electrolysis
Physical Enhancements (non-medical) - using padding to enhance breast, buttock or hip areas, genital tucking and breast binding are all ways someone may affirm their gender without permanent physical alterations.
Gender Affirming Therapy: The Counseling Process
While there may be a physical transformation that occurs during gender identity transition, there is a significant shift in one's mental state as well. Counseling in gender affirming care can include:
Counseling on how to come out as transgender to family and friends
Guidance on the mental health impact of gender reassignment surgery
Resources to help manage a new physical appearance
Talks about future planning, such as fertility and childbearing
Individual therapy with a clinician who has experience in gender affirming care can be incredibly beneficial to the mental health of those transitioning.
How to get started with Gender Affirming Care
It is important to do the proper research into doctors, therapists and other medical care to ensure that they are culturally and medically certified in gender affirming care before choosing them. The environment should be supportive and accepting, with openness to broach topics such as the stressors that accompany gender reassignment, sexual health and what interventions are appropriate and feasible for someone.
If you or someone you know is seeking out Gender Affirming Care, Birches Health is a great place to start that journey. Reach out to Birches by calling 833-483-3838 or emailing hello@bircheshealth.com to speak with a specialist about Gender Affirming Care.
