this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2026
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Let's say I, a middle aged cis man went to my doctor, wanting gender affirming care, and my doctor wanted to provide - what, if anything, would the treatment/care consist of? Just making sure my testosterone level was up to Hegseth-approved standards?

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[–] Smoogs@lemmy.world 3 points 35 minutes ago* (last edited 31 minutes ago)

menopause = hrt.

all for the crime of being born with ovaries and daring to age out of the use of them.

[–] communism@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 hour ago

Well, yeah. I'm a cis woman who takes oestrogen because they removed my ovaries; I do so for gendered reasons, there's a reason why I don't take testosterone instead which would be an equally valid way of replacing my missing hormones from a physiological perspective. I also shave my face for gendered reasons, because people are a lot more judgemental about women having facial hair than men. Cis men who are born with penises but lose them get phalloplasty. And so on.

[–] blockheadjt@sh.itjust.works 16 points 4 hours ago

Never heard of viagra, penis enlargement surgery, breast enlargement surgery, lip filler, botox etc?

People take hormones for non-transition reasons too.

[–] Psythik@lemmy.world 23 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Is this a joke question? Like others have pointed out, gender affirming care is even more popular among cis people than trans.

[–] BitUnWise@programming.dev 2 points 2 hours ago

On an absolute scale sure, because most people are cis. But on a per person scale is it more popular for cis people? This is purely anecdotally speaking, but the only people I personally know who've had gender affirming care are trans

[–] solrize@lemmy.world 7 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I've heard multiple times that using testosterone supplements degrades your body's ability to make testosterone naturally. So once you start using supplements you always have to use them. Otherwise they sound interesting. Just a few injections and I can type in ALL CAPS whenever I want? Sign me up.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

if you already naturally make low T amounts, TEST supplementation wouldnt affect that anyways. its the people who are anabolic steroids, or the rever estrogen. some people will go as far to use Synthetic INSULIN too.

[–] isleepinahammock@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Frankly, as a trans person, I'm not a fan of the term. I didn't get treatment to "affirm my gender." I changed my sex. I literally changed my sex. I didn't get "gender affirming treatment" or whatever the new entry on the euphemism treadmill is we're supposed to use this year.

[–] neidu4@piefed.social 1 points 6 hours ago

Does this mean that the older term term "sex change" is more appropriate?

[–] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 14 points 11 hours ago

Viagra/cialis/etc and testosterone supplements if your numbers are “low” are the most common for men.

[–] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 105 points 17 hours ago

Sure, a lot of it is exactly the same. Hormone treatments for men with low-T, hair removal or replacement, plastic surgery, etc. We don't trend to call it gender affirming care in cisgender people, but that's exactly what it is.

[–] yesman@lemmy.world 67 points 17 hours ago

Yea. Most cosmetic procedures would count. I don't see how a woman getting breast implants is one iota different than a trans woman getting top surgery.

[–] jonalaniz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 47 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

Most gender affirming care is for cis people, they just don’t want to admit it 😂

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 6 hours ago

of course not, it would expose thier hyprocisy, of denying transgender people thier surgeries.

[–] MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca 12 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Are you stating that care that affirms your gender is gender affirming care?!?

[–] TheFogan@programming.dev 1 points 7 hours ago

What's the difference, my opinion, the definition of gender affirming care is.

Treatment to allow your external body to match the characteristics that you feel your body should be.

Which would include, boob jobs, hair transplants. hormones, anything to build up muscle, anything to fix erectile dysfunction etc...

[–] plateee@piefed.social 33 points 15 hours ago (10 children)

Look at any tough-guy gym... There'll be testosterone offered to make you a "real man".

Or breast implants for women who want bigger boobs. Those are both designed to help cis folks feel more like they're the man/woman they think they need to be.

Which is why if gender affirming care is ever outlawed in my purple/red state, I'm going to be reporting the fuck out of the maga gym near by.

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[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 41 points 17 hours ago

Yes.

Gynomastia is a thing that causes some boys to endure a lot of bullying in school. Erectile dysfunction causes issues for older men. The treatment for both of those conditions is gender affirming treatment.

Loads of others, too.

But more to the point, it should not matter why a person needs gender affirming care. That should be a decision between a patient and their doctors, not me, not you, and not the government.

[–] Xenny@lemmy.world 12 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Testosterone and estrogen supplements, dick pills, breast augmentation.

Thats just off the top of my head. Trans people are demonized for things cis people do every day

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 23 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

What about those little blue pills?

[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 4 points 16 hours ago

Even gas stations can provide something like that. Totally unregulated, of course.

[–] Chaunticleer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

Yeah, Hair restoration. Testosterone therapy. I think you might have been joking but that's what those are classified as

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

PENIS enlargment, which is have a very sketchy process., also people obsessed with being tall, although not common will try to get leg lengthening surgery.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world -1 points 6 hours ago

Indeed it is. Most money in teenage gender affirming care goes into removing tits from obese boys.

[–] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 14 points 17 hours ago

Gynecomastia surgery seems like it'd fit the category.

[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 5 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

Yes and no.

While a wide range of medical treatments could be called that with 100% real world accuracy and validity, that isn't how the term "gender affirming care" is used by doctors on a regular basis at this point in time. That might change in the future, but you're asking about now, and about asking a physician.

So, in the current world, that doctor is going to wonder what kind of fuckery you're pulling, and likely find a way to avoid you in the future.

Gender affirming care has a narrow range of definitions medically currently. None of those definitions include treatments that are related to a person that has congruency with their assigned gender. Things like hormone supplementation for cis women or men just isn't that. Gynecomastia treatments aren't gender affirming care either.

Is it in the process of changing to where that is part of the medical usage of the term? Kinda, but it's changing from the outside in, so I'm dubious it'll be a dominant usage any time soon.

See, if you're cis, all medical care is gender affirming to some degree. Some of that is stretching the concept to the breaking point, but the core of the term is about providing care that modifies the body from one's assumed gender to that which matches the internal gender. In other words, if you aren't trans or non binary, or some other flavor other than cis, the care isn't transformative in the same way. It just isn't. Hrt during menopause has a different goal and a different application than hrt for transition on a medical level.

No matter how we use the term colloquially, there is absolutely a difference between colloquial usage and in-jargon usage of any term. In this case, the colloquial usage is being shifted because it radically cruel and morally wrong to deny care to those in need of it for transition when the exact same meds and procedures are often covered by insurance for cis people. The difference between the application of modalities is irrelevant on a social level because no matter that the goal of the treatment is different, it is still a treatment that not only improves lives, it saves them.

But, again, that is not the same thing as current usages within medicine. It'll take time and effort to change that.

Edit: the other part of your question is what would that care look like. The part about the doctor wondering what kind of fuckery you were pulling is the real answer.

That being said, if it wasn't, and the terminology did change, then what you suggested is likely to be the first thing. Your hormone levels would be tested and, if not adequate for function, supplemented. Secondary to that, you would need to consult a cosmetic surgeon for any appearance related issues.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@piefed.ca 1 points 8 hours ago

Vision correction isn't gender affirming care. Diabetes treatment isn't gender affirming care. Heart transplants aren't gender affirming care. If the scope of what is commonly or medically termed gender affirming care is broadened, these will not be included, because they have nothing to do with gender.

[–] Gyrcas@piefed.zip 8 points 17 hours ago

Yes it exists. It can be adjusting testosterone/estrogen if not at good level, hair transplant, etc But I only know the surface level, not really the details much

[–] NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world 6 points 16 hours ago

Erectile dysfunction medication, prostate care, testosterone suppliments and male hormone medications and treatments, and plenty of other things along those lines would certainly qualify as gender affirming care.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 2 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

well I worked at a job where a trans person was asking if laser hair removal (originally said electrolysis but see comment discussion below. sometimes my brain does wierd things) would be covered and I can only assume a woman wanting to be more womanly would want that to. Heck breast augmentation is kinda popular. I do feel stuff like that should not be limited.

[–] neidu4@piefed.social 1 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

electrolysis

Autocorrect with skynet aspirations, or is this a medical procedure I've never heard of?

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

maybe I messed it up but whatever the getting rid of leg hair thing is.

[–] ryannathans@aussie.zone 1 points 12 hours ago (3 children)
[–] loomi@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

Not exactly. Electrolysis is a needle inserted into a hair follicle’s surrounding skin pore, and electricity is passed into the root bulb of the hair to kill the hair root. It’s permanent. Has to be done during the hair’s growth phase. It’s one hair specific and a slow process but when it works the results are permanent.

Laser hair removal is a laser light shown on patch of skin that burns an active hair bulb to kill and or stunt a hair’s growth. This is more a shotgun approach compared to electrolysis. Works better on pale skin.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 2 points 12 hours ago

yeah. actually. that sounds more right.

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 1 points 11 hours ago

Electrolysis targets individual hair shafts with electric pulses and can work where laser didn't. Mostly used on smaller areas bc it can be painful

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 3 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Yes. Viagra, breast implants, breast reduction, hair transplants, laser hair removal, cosmetic surgery, even Musk's botched penis job are all forms of gender affirming surgery

In fact, the US military has been pushing it for soldiers via testosterone supplements

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 1 points 14 hours ago

What about Truck Nutz?

[–] kibblebits@quokk.au 1 points 15 hours ago
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