Insurance coverage for MTF transition procedures such as HRT and gender-affirming surgeries will depend highly on your individual insurance plan. Many insurance plans now cover gender-affirming care, but vary in requirements and necessary documentation. At GCC, our insurance advocacy team has a 90% success rate for securing coverage for interested patients. For more information refer to our insurance coverage page.

Given that an orchiectomy or removal of the testicles is a sterilization procedure, it will irreversibly prevent having children. However, the long-term, permanent effects of HRT on fertility are less certain. Many people assigned male at birth seek out fertility preservation, often through sperm banking or cryopreservation. For more information on transfeminine fertility, you can check out this resource.

Many patients ask this question due to worries around post-transition regret. This is very rare and according to the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care 8 (SOC 9), regret rates of gender-affirming care are as small as 1%. Destransition is similarly uncommon. Those who detransition do so for complex and individual reasons and should be met with empathy; most often, these have to do with weak support networks and few financial resources to pursue transition safely. Ultimately, it is normal to feel nervous about making a large change in your life. It is important to remember that for many transitioning brings measurable benefits to quality of …

The length of your timeline may vary on a number of factors, from goals, to safety and your ability to access legal and medical changes if you choose to make those a part of your journey. Some people may not be in a safe environment to transition or gain access to resources. Forms of transition can vary in time as well. For example, depending on the state you live in, changing the gender marker on your license may take less time than the physical changes one experiences from HRT. To get a sense of what to prioritize, you may want to ask yourself what changes would help relieve the most …

Choosing to transition is a deeply personal choice. Some find it helpful to ask whether you feel that you currently embody and live as the gender identity you wish to live as. In answering that question, it is important to consider how much daily, persistent discomfort you experience by not embodying your gender. Many people who detransition do so not out of regret, but rather because they lack the social and economic support to do so safely and/or securely.  Reasons for transitioning can include many things, from experiences of dysphoria to longing for a certain gender presentation. While for many, transitioning is an avenue to realizing their gender identity, you …

Patients must adhere to a strict no smoking and no nicotine consumption for 3 weeks before and after surgery to reduce nipple graft reduction, anesthesia interference and delayed wound healing. While nicotine is the major culprit, smoking marijuana can interfere with healing and anesthetic. We suggest that patients switch to edibles or CBD and communicate openly with their surgeon to minimize risk. We also advise patients to not drink alcohol one week before and after surgery, and to never drink while taking prescription pain medication.

At GCC, we use the labia minora tissue to create the phallus in metoidioplasty and phalloplasty. As a result, it is not possible to retain the vaginal opening. There are procedures that do not use the labia minora to create a phallus and preserve the vaginal opening, though these are not performed at GCC.

Patients who undergo breast reduction may be able to chestfeed, but may have to supplement with formula. There are some anecdotal cases of patients being able to chestfeed after undergoing aggressive breast reduction and buttonhole/inverted T, but for most forms of chest reconstruction this is not possible. For those who receive nipple grafts, the nipples are not connected to milk ducts. Chestfeeding for transfeminine individuals has been anecdotally reported. Patients who undergo breast augmentation can produce milk, but may need to be supplied. If breast/chestfeeding is a priority for you, you can speak with one of our board-certified surgeons in a free consultation.

We recommend that patients look for surgeons who specialize in serving non-binary patients. Look for surgeons who have a proven track record of not only performing gender-affirming procedures successfully, but also competency with non-binary patients. It is also valuable to seek recommendations from support groups, online communities, or individuals who have undergone similar surgeries.

The GCC’s insurance advocacy team has a 90% success rate in securing insurance coverage for interested patients. That said, insurance coverage for non-binary surgeries varies significantly depending on your specific insurance provider, plan and ability to provide necessary supporting documents. It is essential to reach out to your insurance company to understand their policies, requirements and limitations on gender-affirming surgery.