A recent study published in JAMA Surgery shows adults who underwent gender-affirming chest surgery have no regrets and are generally overwhelmingly happy with their decision to undergo the procedure.
The results were so clear, in fact, that the study authors were unable to perform the complex statistical analyses they had planned due to the striking uniformity in the survey responses.
Overall, this study on adults adds to a limited, but growing body of data suggesting that gender-affirming care is "essential" and potentially life-saving care that comes with significant benefits for people who are transgender and gender diverse. Collectively, this is why major medical organizations—including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, and the Endocrine Society—advocate for protecting access to evidence-based gender-affirming care, which is a broad, sometimes misconstrued, term.
To American medical experts, gender-affirming care is not a set protocol or step-wise plan, but a flexible approach to tailored, patient-led care that can include treatments—such as counseling, hormone replacement therapy, and surgical procedures—that aim to support and foster the autonomy of each individual.
