Gender-affirming surgeries in the US nearly triple from 2016 to 2019 before slight pandemic dip

The number of gender-affirming surgeries in the US nearly tripled from 2016 to 2019 before declining slightly in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Expanded insurance coverage for transgender individuals and reduced discrimination contributed to the increase between 2016 and 2019.
Approximately 48,000 patients underwent gender-affirming surgeries from 2016 to 2020, with a peak of 13,000 procedures in 2019.
Most patients were aged 19 to 30, while surgeries for youth under 18 remained rare.
Some states have enacted restrictions or bans on gender-affirming care for minors, leading to longer wait times in more accepting states.