Gender transition: Difference between revisions

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{{Redirect|Gender change|sex change|Sex change (disambiguation){{!}}Sex change}}

{{Transgender sidebar}}

'''Gender transition''' is the process of [[Gender affirmation|affirming]] and [[Gender expression|expressing]] one's [[Gender identity|internal sense of gender]], rather than the sex [[Sex assignment|assigned to them at birth]]. It is a recommended course of treatment for individuals experiencing [[gender dysphoria]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=World Medical Association |date=October 2015 |title=WMA Statement on Transgender People |url=https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-statement-on-transgender-people/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 28, 2024 |title=APA adopts groundbreaking policy supporting transgender, gender diverse, nonbinary individuals |url=https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2024/02/policy-supporting-transgender-nonbinary |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=American Psychological Association}}</ref> providing improved mental health outcomes in the majority of people.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Kellan E |last2=Wilson |first2=Lisa M |last3=Sharma |first3=Ritu |last4=Dukhanin |first4=Vadim |last5=McArthur |first5=Kristen |last6=Robinson |first6=Karen A |date=April 2021 |title=Hormone Therapy, Mental Health, and Quality of Life Among Transgender People: A Systematic Review |journal=Journal of the Endocrine Society |publication-date=2 February 2021 |volume=5 |issue=4|pages=bvab011 |doi=10.1210/jendso/bvab011 |doi-access=free |pmid=33644622 |pmc=7894249 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shelemy |first1=Lucas |last2=Cotton |first2=Sue |last3=Crane |first3=Catherine |last4=Knight |first4=Matthew |date=2024 |title=Systematic review of prospective adult mental health outcomes following affirmative interventions for gender dysphoria |journal=International Journal of Transgender Health |volume=0 |pages=1–21 |doi=10.1080/26895269.2024.2333525 |issn=2689-5269|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dhejne |first1=Cecilia |last2=Van Vlerken |first2=Roy |last3=Heylens |first3=Gunter |last4=Arcelus |first4=Jon |date=2016 |title=Mental health and gender dysphoria: A review of the literature |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26835611 |journal=International Review of Psychiatry |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=44–57 |doi=10.3109/09540261.2015.1115753 |issn=1369-1627 |pmid=26835611}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cornell University |date=2018 |title=What does the scholarly research say about the effect of gender transition on transgender well-being? |url=https://whatweknow.inequality.cornell.edu/topics/lgbt-equality/what-does-the-scholarly-research-say-about-the-well-being-of-transgender-people/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=What We Know Project |language=en-US}}</ref>

A '''social transition''' may include coming out as transgender,{{Efn|While the label Transgender is used here, people of diverse gender identities may socially or medically transition.|name=a|group=lower-alpha}} using a new name and pronouns, and changing one's public gender expression.<ref name="Brown&Rounsley">Brown, M. L. & Rounsley, C. A. (1996) ''True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism – For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals'' Jossey-Bass: San Francisco {{ISBN|0-7879-6702-5}}</ref> This is usually the first step in a gender transition. People socially transition at almost any age,<ref name=":3"/><ref name=":4"/> as a social transition does not involve medical procedures. It can, however, be a prerequisite to accessing transgender healthcare in many places.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />

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===Social aspects===

{{redirect|Social transitioning|social changes on a societal level|Social change}}

The social process of transitioning begins with '[[coming out]]', where others are told that one does not identify with their [[Sex assignment|birth sex]]. The newly out trans person may adopt a new name, ask to be referred to with a new set of pronouns, and change their presentation to better reflect their identity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Olson |first1=Kristina R. |last2=Durwood |first2=Lily |last3=Horton |first3=Rachel |last4=Gallagher |first4=Natalie M. |last5=Devor |first5=Aaron |date=13 July 2022 |title=Gender Identity 5 Years After Social Transition |journal=Pediatrics|volume=150 |issue=2 |doi=10.1542/peds.2021-056082 |pmid=35505568 |pmc=9936352 }}</ref><ref name="Bigner" /> Socially transitioning does not involve medical intervention or gender affirming surgery, but it may be a prerequisite to access transgender healthcare in some regions.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Evans |first1=Shelley |last2=Crawley |first2=Jamie |last3=Kane |first3=Debbie |last4=Edmunds |first4=Kathryn |date=December 2021 |title=The process of transitioning for the transgender individual and the nursing imperative: A narrative review |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jan.14943 |journal=Journal of Advanced Nursing |language=en |volume=77 |issue=12 |pages=4646–4660 |doi=10.1111/jan.14943 |pmid=34252206 |issn=0309-2402|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last=Rachlin |first=Katherine |title=Medical Transition without Social Transition: Expanding Options for Privately Gendered Bodies |url=https://read.dukeupress.edu/tsq/article-abstract/5/2/228/134507/Medical-Transition-without-Social |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=read.dukeupress.edu|date=May 2018 |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=228–244 |doi=10.1215/23289252-4348660 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

People may socially transition at any age, with documented cases of children as [[Transgender youth|young as 5]],<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Kennedy |first1=Natacha |last2=Hellen |first2=Mark |date=2010 |title=Transgender Children: more than a theoretical challenge |url=https://www.gjss.org/sites/default/files/issues/chapters/papers/Journal-07-02--02-Kennedy-Hellen.pdf |journal=Graduate Journal of Social Science}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Olson |first1=Kristina R. |last2=Gülgöz |first2=Selin |date=June 2018 |title=Early Findings From the TransYouth Project: Gender Development in Transgender Children |url=https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdep.12268 |journal=Child Development Perspectives |language=en |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=93–97 |doi=10.1111/cdep.12268 |issn=1750-8592|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Olson |first1=Kristina R. |last2=Key |first2=Aidan C. |last3=Eaton |first3=Nicholas R. |date=April 2015 |title=Gender Cognition in Transgender Children |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797614568156 |journal=Psychological Science |language=en |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=467–474 |doi=10.1177/0956797614568156 |pmid=25749700 |issn=0956-7976|url-access=subscription }}</ref> or adults as [[Late transitioners|old as 75]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Fabbre |first=Vanessa D. |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315731803-5/gender-transitions-later-life-significance-time-queer-aging-vanessa-fabbre |title=Gender Transitions in Later Life: The Significance of Time in Queer Aging |date=2015 |isbn=9781315731803 |doi=10.4324/9781315731803-5|doi-broken-date=6 July 2025 }}</ref> While many of those who socially transition will pursue a medical transition, not everyone can access gender affirming care, and not all may wish to pursue it.

=== Psychological aspects ===