A broad term for health care transgender people may pursue, including counseling, hormone replacement therapy, and surgical treatments. Not all transgender people pursue every form of medical treatment available. Many never receive medical care of any kind due to cost, access, or personal choice.
When writing about medical care is appropriate and not objectifying, terms like gender-affirming medical care or transition-related medical care will usually suffice. General language is usually better than more specific terms that draw unnecessary attention to trans bodies and medical procedures.
Occasionally, stories will require more specific language to describe a procedure. When appropriate and necessary, journalists should generally use the official name of a surgery or treatment. One major exception: avoid the term mastectomy when describing surgical changes to a transmasculine person’s chest. Instead, use the terms chest reconstruction surgery or chest masculinization surgery.
For more about writing about gender-affirming health care, see the Trans Journalists Association Style Guide’s Section 1.3 Guidance on avoiding harmful cliches and stereotypes.
Updated March 2021
