Jump to content

  • Set Your Location
  • Sign in or Enroll
Set Your LocationSet Your Location
  • Sign in or Enroll
    • Open I want to choose my medical group or hospital
    • Clear my location
Change Location
Sutter Health
  • Video Visits
  • Find Doctors
  • Find Locations
  • Treatments & Services
    • Video Visits
    • Find Doctors
    • Find Locations
    • Treatments & Services
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Symptom Checker
    • Get Care Today
    • Health & Wellness
    • Classes & Events
    • Research & Clinical Trials
    • For Patients
    • About Sutter Health
    • Giving
    • Volunteering
    • Careers
    • News
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Other Business Services
Close Search
  • Home
  • Health and Wellness
  • Sexual Health and Relationships
  • Gender Identity
Content

Gender Identity and Gender Expression

Gender identity is used to describe a person's own, internal sense of being a man or being a woman. Gender expression is the external communication of a person’s gender identity through "masculine" or "feminine" behavior, clothing, and other external personal characteristics.

A person's gender identity and/or gender expression may or may not align with a person’s assigned (genetic or anatomical) sex at birth.

A transgender person's gender identity does not match his or her birth-assigned sex. For example, a transgender person may have been assigned male at birth due to anatomy, but may have an internal sense of gender identity as a woman. This transgender person may live her life as a woman, despite the fact that she was assigned 'male' at birth.

A cisgender person's gender identity is aligned with their birth assigned sex. For example, a cisgender person whose assigned sex at birth was male also identifies as male in gender.

Someone who is non-binary does not identify as exclusively male or female. They may identify as both, neither or some combination of the two. Being non-binary does not imply anything about a person’s sexual identity.

Gender and Sex

In everyday conversation, the words "sex" and "gender" are often used without much distinction. However, there is a difference between these words. Generally, gender is usually accepted within scientific circles as a word to describe a person's identity and social role related to gender.

However, sex refers to a person's physical anatomy and/or genetics – specifically a person's genitalia. Therefore, there can be a difference between a person's sex assigned at birth, and a person's gender identity.

Related Articles

  • Gender Binary and Non-Binary Individuals
  • Have Great Sex in Midlife
  • Examine Your Partner During Intimacy
  • Protect Yourself Against STDs
  • How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex
  • Men: Maintain a Healthy Sex Life
The Sutter Health Network of Care
Expertise to fit your needs
Primary Care

Check-ups, screenings and sick visits for adults and children.

Specialty Care

Expertise and advanced technologies in all areas of medicine.

Emergency Care

For serious accidents, injuries and conditions that require immediate medical care.

Urgent Care

After-hours, weekend and holiday services.

Walk-In Care

Convenient walk-in care clinics for your non-urgent health needs.

  • Contact Us
  • Find Doctors
  • Find Locations
  • Request Medical Records
  • Make a Gift
Sign in to My Health Online

Billing and Insurance

  • Pay a Bill
  • Accepted Health Plans
  • Estimate Costs
  • Medicare Advantage

About Sutter

  • About Our Network
  • Community Benefit
  • Annual Report
  • News

Our Team

  • For Employees
  • For Medical Professionals
  • For Vendors
  • For Volunteers

Careers

  • Jobs at Sutter
  • Physician Jobs
  • Graduate Medical Education

Copyright © 2023 Sutter Health. All rights reserved. Sutter Health is a registered trademark of Sutter Health ®, Reg. U.S. Patent & Trademark office.

  • ADA Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • LinkedIn Opens new window
  • YouTube Opens new window
  • Facebook Opens new window
  • Twitter Opens new window
  • Instagram Opens new window
  • Glassdoor Opens new window

Cookie Policy

We use cookies to give you the best possible user experience. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences

Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences