{"title":"Mental Health Impacts of Weight-Based Denial from Gender-Affirming Surgery: A Case Report.","authors":"Teddy G Goetz, Rachel Kishton","doi":"10.1080/19359705.2024.2421538","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>High body mass index (BMI) can be a barrier to accessing gender-affirming surgery (GAS).</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This case report discusses the mental health implications of being denied GAS based on BMI in a transgender woman presenting to psychiatric care integrated with primary care. Subsequently, we summarize existing literature regarding GAS and mental health.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>Existing literature on GAS outcomes robustly demonstrates the mental health benefits of undergoing desired GAS and does not support using BMI to determine surgical candidacy.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This case highlights why psychiatrists and other mental health clinicians should be concerned about BMI serving as a barrier to our patients accessing GAS.</p>","PeriodicalId":46675,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12440386/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19359705.2024.2421538","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: High body mass index (BMI) can be a barrier to accessing gender-affirming surgery (GAS).
Method: This case report discusses the mental health implications of being denied GAS based on BMI in a transgender woman presenting to psychiatric care integrated with primary care. Subsequently, we summarize existing literature regarding GAS and mental health.
Result: Existing literature on GAS outcomes robustly demonstrates the mental health benefits of undergoing desired GAS and does not support using BMI to determine surgical candidacy.
Conclusion: This case highlights why psychiatrists and other mental health clinicians should be concerned about BMI serving as a barrier to our patients accessing GAS.