Gender-affirming care

DATE

Gender-affirming care

Gender-affirming care refers to the suite of medical, psychological, and surgical interventions aimed at helping transgender and non-binary individuals align their physical bodies with their gender identity. This form of care is essential for many transgender people and can significantly improve their quality of life and mental health.

Components of gender-affirming care include hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which adjusts the body's hormonal balance to reflect the patient's gender identity. Surgical options might include chest/breast construction or removal, genital reconstruction, and facial feminization or masculinization surgeries, among others. Beyond medical interventions, gender-affirming care also encompasses psychological support to help individuals navigate their transitions and cope with societal challenges they may face.

Despite its importance, access to gender-affirming care varies greatly across the globe. In some regions, it is readily available and covered by public health insurance, while in others, it can be prohibitively expensive or difficult to access due to legal restrictions or lack of medical providers trained in transgender health care. The legal environment in some countries may also impact the availability of these treatments, with some governments imposing restrictions or outright bans on certain aspects of transgender health care.

Summary

73
Legal
73 regions (37%)
Legal
78
Somewhere in between
78 regions (39%)
Somewhere in between
18
Banned
18 regions (9%)
Banned
29
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
29 regions (15%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
Europe
58%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
29 regions (58%)
Somewhere in between
16 regions (32%)
Banned
2 regions (4%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
3 regions (6%)
Oceania
29%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
4 regions (29%)
Somewhere in between
3 regions (21%)
Banned
regions (0%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
7 regions (50%)
South America
83%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
10 regions (83%)
Somewhere in between
2 regions (17%)
Banned
regions (0%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
regions (0%)
North America
52%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
12 regions (52%)
Somewhere in between
4 regions (17%)
Banned
1 regions (4%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
6 regions (26%)
Africa
11%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
6 regions (11%)
Somewhere in between
31 regions (57%)
Banned
6 regions (11%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
11 regions (20%)
Asia
27%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
12 regions (27%)
Somewhere in between
22 regions (50%)
Banned
9 regions (21%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
1 regions (2%)

Timeline of gender-affirming care

Number of countries to over the past 61 years.

Recent Changes

2025

2024

2023

Gender-affirming care by Country

Legal, but restricted for minors

Gender-affirming care is legal, but restricted for minors in 9 regions.

  1. Asia (2)
  2. Japan 1997
  3. Singapore

Legal, but banned for minors

Gender-affirming care is legal, but banned for minors in 5 regions.

  1. Asia (2)
  2. Kazakhstan 2020
  3. Kyrgyzstan 2005
  4. Europe (3)
  5. Turkey 2025
  6. Ukraine 1983
  7. United Kingdom 2024

Banned

Gender-affirming care is banned in 18 regions.

  1. Europe (2)
  2. Georgia 2024
  3. Russia 2023
  4. North America (1)
  5. El Salvador

Varied, unclear, or unknown laws

Data on gender-affirming care is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 29 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. North Korea
  3. Europe (3)
  4. Liechtenstein Ambiguous
  5. Spain Varies by Region
  6. Vatican City N/A
  7. Antarctica (1)
  8. Antarctica N/A

Spot an error? Visit the region and select "Accurate?: No" so Equaldex's editors can review it.