Psychosocial Overview of Gender-Affirmative Care

Transgender and gender-diverse youth and their families are increasingly presenting to adolescent gynecological providers for education, care, and referrals. These youth more often face mental health and social disparities that frequently go unrecognized or unaddressed by providers. A gender-affirmative approach focuses on providing emotional validation, psychological safety, and support to young patients and their families. With better understanding of the unique needs of transgender and gender-diverse populations, gynecological care can be personalized and delivered in a nuanced fashion to better address the sexual and reproductive needs of gender minority patients. In this article we review essential psychological and social considerations in caring for transgender and gender-diverse youth, including concepts relating to gender identity, affirmative approaches, means of assessing for risk and resiliency, and family dynamics. Ultimately, adolescent gynecological providers have an important role in promoting the emotional health and positive development of transgender and gender-diverse youth.