- Anish Kumar: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Uchechukwu O Amakiri: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Joshua D Safer: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
In this commentary, we describe the way in which science has been used to constrain transgender peoples' access to gender-affirming care. The required diagnosis of gender dysphoria is rooted in both the historical assumption that psychological distress is an inherent aspect of being transgender and the incorrect notion that gender-affirming care is a panacea for the mental health issues that transgender people may experience, regardless of whether these mental health issues are related to their being transgender. We provide recommendations for how to address these barriers to care moving forward.