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Terminology

The following terminology is helpful to understand when working with the TGNC community.

Identifying as someone who was assigned male at birth but identifies as female.

Identifying as someone who was assigned female at birth but identifies as male.

A colloquial term used within the TGNC community to describe surgeries focused on primary sexual characteristics (i.e., external and internal genitalia).

Strategies (whether aesthetic, medical or surgical) that produce physical changes typically defined as feminine.

Surgical procedures intended to alter primary and/or secondary sex characteristics to affirm a person’s experienced gender identity; sometimes referred to as sex reassignment surgery.

Any treatment with the goal of reducing symptoms of gender dysphoria; may include psychotherapeutic, medical, or surgical treatments; aims to affirm the gender as stated by the patient.

(1) Distress caused by the discrepancy between one’s experienced/expressed gender and one’s assigned gender and/or primary or secondary sex characteristics; (2) a diagnostic category in DSM–5, with specific diagnoses defined by age-group-specific sets of criteria.

One’s identity as belonging or not belonging to a particular gender, whether male, female or a non-binary alternative.

An identity label used by some individuals whose experienced and/or expressed gender does not conform to the male/female binary or who reject the gender binary.

Prescribing of hormones (typically estrogen or testosterone) to TGNC patients for the purpose of gender transition.

A subset of the somatic conditions known as disorders of sex development in which chromosomal sex is inconsistent with genital sex, or in which the genital or gonadal sex is not classifiable as either male or female.

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual

A progressive way of identifying someone who was assigned female at birth but identifies as male.

Describes strategies (whether aesthetic, medical or surgical) that produce physical changes typically defined as feminine.

A bottom surgery which creates a phallus from clitoral tissue for men of transgender experience.

A bottom surgery that creates a neo-phallus for men of transgender experience.

A person’s categorization as biologically male or female, usually on a genital or gonadal basis.

An individual definition in that it is truly distinct from gender identity. It can be gay, bisexual, lesbian, straight or other. Sexual orientation is defined by the patient and not by the clinician.

A colloquial term used in the TGNC community to describe either mastectomy or breast augmentation.

An umbrella term referring to feelings, ideas, or actions motivated by ignorance, dislike, prejudice, or even hatred towards the TGNC people.

(1) A subset of transgender individuals who desire to modify, or have modified, their bodies through hormones or surgery to be more congruent with their experienced gender; (2) consider by some to by pejorative and/or out-of-date.

A progressive way of identifying someone who was assigned male at birth but identifies as female.

The World Professional Associations of Transgender Health; a large multi-disciplinary organization that makes recommendations for the standards of care for TGNC patients.

A bottom surgery that creates a neo-vagina for women of transgender experience.

Medical leadership for mind, brain and body.

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