AFAB

AFAB stands for "assigned female at birth." It describes a person who was labeled female when they were born, typically based on external anatomy. The term is useful in transgender, non-binary, and intersex conversations because it separates the sex someone was assigned at birth from the gender they actually are. Sources note that AFAB is a descriptor rather than an identity, so it should be used carefully and not treated as a stand-in for a person's real gender. Its counterpart is AMAB, meaning "assigned male at birth." People who are AFAB may or may not identify as female at any point in their lives.