What Is Gender Transitioning?

Gender Transitioning is a process transgender people undergo to align with their gender identity. It is part of the treatment for gender dysphoria and can help alleviate the distress it causes.

Ways to transition:

• Social transition (involves changing their gender expression)
• Medical transition (involves changing their body).

People who wish to transition may undertake one, all, or none of these steps.

Social transitioning may include:

• Coming out to loved ones as transgender.
• Changing their name to one that expresses their true gender and makes them feel comfortable.
• Using pronouns that match their desired gender.
• Changing their gender expression (such as appearance, mannerisms, hairstyle, and dressing styles).

Hormone therapy is the administration of hormonal medications to align secondary sexual characteristics with gender identity.

• Transmaculine individuals will take androgens which deepens their voices, promotes growth of body hair and redistributes muscle mass.
• Transfeminine people will take estrogen which stops growth of body hair, promotes development of breasts and redistributes body fat.

Gender affirmation surgery is a procedure of altering a transgender person's physical appearance & functional abilities to those of their gender identity.

• Feminization surgery includes breast augmentation, facial feminization surgery, vaginoplasty, vulvoplasty & orchiectomy.
• Masculinization surgery includes chest masculinization, facial surgery, metoidioplasty, phalloplasty & scrotoplasty.

For those who know someone who is transgender and/or considering transitioning:

1. Educate yourself about gender and gender transitioning.
2. Respect transgender individuals by using their correct pronouns & chosen name.
3. Don't invalidate them because of their choices in transitioning. There is no one way to transition.