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

61
Legal
61 regions (31%)
Legal
63
Somewhere in between
63 regions (32%)
Somewhere in between
35
Banned
35 regions (18%)
Banned
39
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
39 regions (20%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
Europe
56%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
28 regions (56%)
Somewhere in between
12 regions (24%)
Banned
6 regions (12%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
4 regions (8%)
Oceania
7%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
1 regions (7%)
Somewhere in between
2 regions (14%)
Banned
regions (0%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
11 regions (79%)
South America
67%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
8 regions (67%)
Somewhere in between
4 regions (33%)
Banned
regions (0%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
regions (0%)
North America
35%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
8 regions (35%)
Somewhere in between
1 regions (4%)
Banned
3 regions (13%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
11 regions (48%)
Africa
9%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
5 regions (9%)
Somewhere in between
23 regions (43%)
Banned
15 regions (28%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
11 regions (20%)
Asia
25%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
11 regions (25%)
Somewhere in between
21 regions (48%)
Banned
11 regions (25%)
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

Gender-affirming care is legal in 61 regions.

  1. Asia (11)
  2. Cambodia 2015
  3. India 2019
  4. Israel 1986
  5. Lebanon
  6. Mongolia 1994
  7. Pakistan 2018
  8. Philippines 1992
  9. Taiwan 2014
  10. Thailand
  11. Uzbekistan
  12. Vietnam 2008
  13. Europe (28)
  14. Andorra 2011
  15. Austria 1980
  16. Belgium 1979
  17. Bulgaria
  18. Croatia 1979
  19. Czechia 1971
  20. Denmark 2016
  21. Estonia 2022
  22. France 1975
  23. Germany 1945
  24. Greece
  25. Iceland 2019
  26. Kosovo
  27. Latvia 1996
  28. Lithuania 2022
  29. Luxembourg
  30. Malta
  31. Moldova
  32. Montenegro 2012
  33. Netherlands 1979
  34. Norway 1996
  35. Poland 1996
  36. Portugal 1995
  37. Romania
  38. San Marino
  39. Slovakia 2023
  40. Slovenia
  41. Switzerland 1988
  42. North America (8)
  43. Bahamas
  44. Belize
  45. Costa Rica 2017
  46. Cuba 2008
  47. Guatemala
  48. Jamaica
  49. Mexico 2020
  50. Trinidad and Tobago
  51. Africa (5)
  52. Botswana 2017
  53. Eswatini 2016
  54. Mauritius
  55. Republic of the Congo
  56. South Africa
  57. Oceania (1)
  58. New Zealand
  59. South America (8)
  60. Bolivia
  61. Brazil 2020
  62. Chile 2023
  63. Colombia
  64. Ecuador
  65. Paraguay
  66. Peru
  67. Uruguay 2018

Legal, but restricted for minors

Gender-affirming care is legal, but restricted for minors in 10 regions.

  1. Asia (2)
  2. Japan 1997
  3. Singapore 1973
  4. Europe (8)
  5. Finland 2020
  6. Hungary 2020
  7. Ireland 2016
  8. Italy 2019
  9. North Macedonia
  10. Serbia 2005
  11. Sweden 2022
  12. Turkey 1988

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 (2)
  5. Ukraine 2016
  6. United Kingdom 2024
  7. South America (1)
  8. Argentina 2025

Restricted

Gender-affirming care is restricted in 48 regions.

  1. Asia (17)
  2. Bangladesh 1969
  3. Bhutan
  4. China
  5. Indonesia 2023
  6. Iran 1987
  7. Laos 2009
  8. Malaysia 1983
  9. Myanmar 1963
  10. Nepal 1988
  11. Palestine
  12. Qatar
  13. South Korea
  14. Sri Lanka
  15. Syria 2011
  16. Tajikistan
  17. Timor-Leste
  18. Turkmenistan
  19. Europe (2)
  20. Belarus 1983
  21. Bosnia and Herzegovina 2023
  22. North America (1)
  23. Antigua and Barbuda
  24. Africa (23)
  25. Angola 2015
  26. Benin
  27. Burundi
  28. Côte d’Ivoire
  29. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  30. Equatorial Guinea
  31. Ethiopia
  32. Ghana 1996
  33. Guinea
  34. Kenya 1986
  35. Lesotho 1994
  36. Liberia
  37. Libya
  38. Mali
  39. Namibia
  40. Niger 1988
  41. Nigeria
  42. Rwanda 1986
  43. South Sudan 1990
  44. Sudan 1990
  45. Tanzania 1994
  46. Tunisia
  47. Zimbabwe
  48. Oceania (2)
  49. Fiji 1999
  50. Vanuatu
  51. South America (3)
  52. Guyana
  53. Suriname
  54. Venezuela

Banned

Gender-affirming care is banned in 35 regions.

  1. Asia (11)
  2. Afghanistan 2022
  3. Bahrain
  4. Brunei
  5. Iraq 2024
  6. Jordan 2018
  7. Kuwait 2020
  8. Maldives
  9. Oman
  10. Saudi Arabia 2014
  11. United Arab Emirates
  12. Yemen
  13. Europe (6)
  14. Albania
  15. Armenia 2006
  16. Azerbaijan
  17. Georgia 2024
  18. Monaco
  19. Russia 2023
  20. North America (3)
  21. Barbados
  22. El Salvador
  23. Haiti
  24. Africa (15)
  25. Algeria
  26. Burkina Faso
  27. Cameroon
  28. Central African Republic
  29. Chad
  30. Djibouti
  31. Egypt 2003
  32. Madagascar
  33. Malawi
  34. Mauritania
  35. Morocco
  36. Mozambique
  37. Somalia
  38. Uganda 2023
  39. Zambia

Varied, unclear, or unknown laws

Data on gender-affirming care is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 39 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. North Korea
  3. Europe (4)
  4. Cyprus Varies by Region
  5. Liechtenstein Ambiguous
  6. Spain Varies by Region
  7. Vatican City N/A
  8. North America (11)
  9. Canada Varies by Region
  10. Dominica
  11. Dominican Republic
  12. Grenada
  13. Honduras
  14. Nicaragua
  15. Panama
  16. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  17. Saint Lucia
  18. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  19. United States Varies by Region
  20. Africa (11)
  21. Cape Verde
  22. Comoros
  23. Eritrea
  24. Gabon Ambiguous
  25. Gambia
  26. Guinea-Bissau
  27. Sao Tome and Principe
  28. Senegal
  29. Seychelles
  30. Sierra Leone
  31. Togo Ambiguous
  32. Oceania (11)
  33. Australia Varies by Region
  34. Federated States of Micronesia
  35. Kiribati
  36. Marshall Islands
  37. Nauru
  38. Palau
  39. Papua New Guinea
  40. Samoa
  41. Solomon Islands
  42. Tonga
  43. Tuvalu
  44. Antarctica (1)
  45. Antarctica N/A

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