Gender-affirming care supports you in shaping your body in ways that feel true to your identity on your terms and at your pace.
Whether you’re exploring hormone therapy, considering surgery, or simply looking for supportive care, understanding your options is the first step toward making confident, informed decisions.
As reconstructive urologist Dr. Alex Xu explains, “Gender-affirming care is deeply personal. There’s no single ‘right’ transition path. Our role is to help patients understand their options, support their goals, and provide care that aligns with how they want to move through the world.”
Dr. Xu specializes in gender-affirming surgery and genitourinary reconstruction, offering both masculinizing and feminizing procedures with a focus on individualized, evidence-based care and long-term patient support.
Gender-affirming care is not always one single treatment; it’s a spectrum of supportive, medical, and surgical services that help you feel more at home in your body.
Care may include:
Each person’s path is different. Some people pursue multiple forms of care, while others focus on just one area. What matters most is that your care plan reflects your needs, not a predetermined path.
“Some patients come in knowing exactly what they want, while others are still exploring what affirmation means for them,” says Dr. Xu. “Both experiences are completely valid. Good care starts with listening.”
Hormone therapy typically uses estrogen, testosterone, and blockers (alone or in combination) to help develop physical traits that align with your gender identity. Many patients also report an improvement in their mental health after starting hormones. Think of hormone therapy as guiding your body’s natural chemistry in a new direction.
What changes can hormone therapy create?
Depending on your goals, hormone therapy may:
These changes happen gradually over months to years and are closely monitored by experienced providers to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Important to know:
Hormone therapy is just one part of care. Some patients combine it with surgery or non-surgical treatments, while others do not pursue hormones at all. Hormone use is not required for most gender-affirming surgery.
Surgical care focuses on reshaping specific areas of the body to better reflect your identity. These procedures are highly personalized and often combined for more comprehensive results. Common gender-affirming surgery options include:
Chest / Top Surgery
These procedures can significantly reduce chest dysphoria and improve confidence in daily life.
Facial Surgery
Your face is often the first way the world perceives you. The following procedures help align that first impression with your identity:
Body Contouring
Body contouring treatments reshape the overall silhouette to create a more masculine, feminine, or androgynous appearance.
Genital / Bottom Surgery
These procedures focus on both function and affirmation, often using advanced surgical techniques to support sensation and long-term outcomes.
Dr. Xu, who performs the full spectrum of masculinizing and feminizing bottom surgeries, emphasizes the importance of individualized planning.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to bottom surgery,” says Dr. Xu. “Every procedure decision, from surgical technique to staging, should reflect the patient’s anatomy, goals, lifestyle, and priorities for function and sensation.”
He adds, “Patients often come in feeling overwhelmed by information online. One of the most important parts of consultation is helping people understand what’s realistic, what recovery involves, and what options truly fit their goals.”
Other Procedures
Insurance coverage for gender-affirming care has expanded significantly, but varies by location. Many plans do cover hormone therapy and most surgeries in New Jersey and the surrounding areas. Coverage often requires:
Because navigating insurance can feel overwhelming, many centers offer dedicated patient navigators to help you understand your benefits, submit documentation, and reduce delays. Even if you are worried that your plan does not cover gender-affirming care or if you are out of network, our experts can often obtain coverage for you regardless of the specialized nature of these procedures. Don’t hesitate to reach out and ask!
The goal is simple: remove barriers so you can focus on your care, not the paperwork.
Here’s what typically happens during your first consultation:
Consultations are designed to be collaborative, not prescriptive. Your voice leads the process so we can help you find the best care path for your needs.
There’s no single “right way” to pursue gender-affirming care, only the path that feels right for you. Whether you’re just beginning to explore your options or ready to take the next step, you deserve care that is affirming of your identity, grounded in medical expertise, and centered around your personal goals.
At The Center for Gender Affirmation, our goal is to help you step into who you’ve always been. Schedule your consultation today and take the next step toward alignment.