Regulating Healthy Gender: Surgical Body Modification Among Transgender and Cisgender Consumers

This research examined the experiences of transgender and cisgender individuals undergoing surgical body modifications, highlighting the sociocultural and institutional dynamics involved. Through content analysis of 445 online threads, 15 international surgical protocols, and 40 in-depth interviews, the study found that both groups shared similar presurgical feelings, motivations, and benefits from surgery, which enhanced their inner selves by improving their outer gendered bodies. However, transgender individuals faced more stringent protocols and less autonomy compared to their cisgender counterparts, revealing inequalities in psychomedical institutions. The study underscored the impact of gender status on access to surgery and called for policy changes in clinical practice and legal gender classifications.