Surgical procedures to help peoples’ bodies align with their gender identities have been around since the early 20th century. But it’s only been in the past few years that legal changes, medical advances and rising cultural visibility for the trans community have allowed for a growth in comprehensive health care options. At the U, the Transgender Health Program has risen to the top of the field, providing a range of medical services that play a central role in what can be lifelong journeys for those seeking to live their truth.

Transgender patients at the U have invested heavily—emotionally, physically and financially—to seek out surgeries and medication that will aid them through their transition. They’ve overcome enormous obstacles and trauma just to arrive in the hospital room. It’s often a matter of life or death that they have the body that fits with who they are.