Gender-affirming care is often framed as a niche medical service, something sought exclusively by transgender and nonbinary individuals. But what if we told you that gender-affirming care is something everyone has encountered in some way?
Laser hair removal. Hair transplants. Botox and dermal fillers. Testosterone replacement therapy. These procedures, often considered routine in cosmetic and anti-aging medicine, are also gender-affirming care. In reality, gender is a social construct, and the ways we modify, maintain, or enhance our appearance are deeply intertwined with how we express and experience it.
To better understand how access to gender-affirming care impacts mental health, well-being, and daily life, The Health Collective, in collaboration with the Lavender Policy Center, has launched a new survey. The goal? To gather insights on how people navigate gender expression through healthcare and what barriers—financial, social, and political—stand in their way.
Why This Matters
For transgender and nonbinary individuals, gender-affirming care is often life-saving, reducing gender dysphoria and improving mental health outcomes. But the reality is that everyone participates in gender expression, whether they realize it or not.
“Most people don’t think of gender-affirming care as something they’ve accessed, but they have,” said David Grant, Executive Director of The Health Collective. “Why do we see hair transplants for men as normal but gender-affirming surgery for trans individuals as controversial? Why is testosterone replacement therapy for aging men a routine prescription but gender-affirming hormone therapy for trans people a political flashpoint?”
The survey builds on findings from Connecticut’s first statewide LGBTQ+ needs assessment, conducted in 2021 by the Connecticut LGBTQ+ Health and Human Services Network in partnership with the Consultation Center at Yale. That study found that lack of access to gender-affirming care was a major issue for transgender and nonbinary individuals, often resulting in higher rates of anxiety and depression.
The new survey seeks to expand the conversation: What is gender? How do we express it? Why do we alter or maintain it through medical care?
Key Survey Topics
The survey explores:
- The types of gender-affirming care people have sought or are interested in.
- Barriers to accessing care, including financial, legal, and social obstacles.
- The role of healthcare providers and insurance companies in shaping access.
- How gender-affirming care affects mental health and well-being.
The results will inform advocacy efforts aimed at improving access, expanding provider education, and strengthening healthcare protections for all.
How to Participate
Whether you’ve received gender-affirming care without realizing it, struggled to access it, or want to share your perspective, your voice matters. The survey takes just a few minutes and will directly shape future advocacy work.
Take the survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdarZGM5sHqL9TdCm5xiry_cuXoIII_QSyun8gToXI-M-T8zw/viewform.
For more information, visit www.lavenderpc.org and www.healthcollective.org.
