We stand with trans youth and are in this for the long haul. Even within our own community of LGBTQ+ people, we have a lot of grace and love to give to young trans and nonbinary people. While the present attacks on healthcare for trans youth are daunting, the advocacy, activism, and overall support by healthcare providers, community members, and other allies is abundant. Indeed, it is unethical to let children suffer when their suffering can be alleviated.” There is nothing unethical with interfering with spontaneous development, when spontaneous development causes great harm to the child. “If allowing puberty to progress appears likely to harm the child, puberty should be suspended. Trans rights are human rights and trans kids deserve careĮven in 2008, the Journal of Medical Ethics wrote about treating trans children managing their gender identity: My Kid Came Out to Me as Trans/Nonbinary-Now What? Gender Affirming Care and Therapy 101 for Youth and Teens.If you’re a parent of a trans, nonbinary, and/or gender nonconforming (GNC) child, teen, or adult child, check out our educational guides for parents: Plenty of studies have found that the use of puberty blockers in trans children generally leads to improved mental health and wellness in adolescence and young adulthood. The physical outcomes of supporting trans youth in healthcare access related to their gender result in positive mental health as well. Plus, it’s well studied from this approach. Medical transition for children and youth is a multi-disciplinary collaboration. Affirming trans youth benefits their overall mental health However, gender-affirming care is critical, life-saving, and completely vital to trans youth seeking it. The difference today? Transgender kids experiencing gender dysphoria are seeking treatment with puberty blockers, or even hormone therapy, to be affirmed in their bodies.Īs the need to access care is to explore gender, we’re seeing options taken off the table. Existing medicines are safely used for preventing puberty for seemingly cisgender-identified children. Puberty blockers have been in use since the 1980s to stop "precocious puberty" (or early puberty) in children as young as 6. Denying care is about transphobiaĬontrary to conservative media narratives, gender-affirming care for youth isn’t experimental. Once a child stops taking puberty blockers, the body’s natural puberty will resume its course. Puberty blockers simply provide time for a child to continue to explore and understand their gender identity.Īdditionally, puberty blockers allow youth and their family to decide if pursuing further treatment is the next step. When children typically begin puberty around ages 11 or 12, the body releases testosterone or estrogen that aids in the development of secondary sex characteristics such as breast development or the growth of facial hair. Transgender children typically just need the opportunities to explore (such as with pronouns, gender expression, etc.) to affirm their existing sense of self. There’s a reason why so many stories of transgender people include harkening back to their childhoods, particularly about the feelings of body and gender exploration that fit outside of their assigned gender. This myth goes against what we know scientifically about child development. Kids understand themselvesĪnti-trans lawmakers perpetuate the misguided and harmful belief that gender-nonconforming children don’t understand themselves. These attacks, spearheaded by lawmakers, deny crucial truths that queer-and-trans-affirming healthcare providers center on when providing care to youth. Medical care for LGBTQ+ youth, especially trans and nonbinary youth, is under attack. Legislators are making unjust medical decisions that should be made by young people with trusted parents or guardians alongside healthcare professionals. Not only are the civil rights of youth already limited, but now they’re being restricted or denied further, particularly in places that already are lacking in access to care for all trans people. As of January 24, 2023, the Atlantic Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been actively monitoring 185 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the United States, many of which criminalize trans youth and their families for pursuing gender-affirming healthcare.
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