Things to know about the gender-affirming care case as the Supreme Court prepares to weigh in

The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it will hear arguments on the constitutionality of state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

The issue has emerged as a big one in the past few years. While transgender people have gained more visibility and acceptance in many respects, half the states have pushed back with laws banning certain health care services for transgender kids.

Things to know about the issue:

What is gender-affirming care?

Gender-affirming care includes a range of medical and mental health services to support a person’s gender identity, including when it’s different from the sex they were assigned at birth.

The services are offered to treat gender dysphoria, the unease a person may have because their assigned gender and gender identity don’t match. The condition has been linked to depression and suicidal thoughts.

Gender-affirming care encompasses counseling and treatment with medications that block puberty, and hormone therapy to produce physical changes. Those for transgender men cause periods to stop, increase facial and body hair, and deepen voices, among others. The hormones used by transgender women can have effects such as slowing growth of body and facial hair and increasing breast growth.

Gender-affirming care can also include surgery, including operations to transform genitals and chests. These surgeries are rarely offered to minors.

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