A federal judge on Tuesday struck down Arkansas’ ban on gender-affirming treatment for transgender youth, dealing the strongest blow yet to a state prohibition on such care.
Non-westerner here so I’m very much out of the loop. I’m a bit confused when I read headlines like this one. Does “allowing gender-affirming treatment” mean that transgender minors are allowed to have HRT or surgeries? to me it seems like a bad idea giving a minor (trans or cis) access to surgeries and/or hormone therapy. Does the ban have other ramifications that I don’t understand? Can someone explain please
trans youth gender-affirming treatment doesn’t use hormones. it uses puberty blockers, so that the child doesn’t go through puberty, and when they turn 18 they can state HRT with a better outcome. the therapy is reversible, so when the child stops taking puberty blockers, they undergo normal puberty process, and it’s a recommended treatment for trans youth by multiple pediatrician and psychiatrist societies and associations.
Trans youth can access HRT, and in some cases surgeries. The only age-related requirement in WPATH v8 is that puberty has started, there’s no need to wait until 18.
For reference cis people typically start puberty around age 11, though 8-14 is the starting range.
Never heard of anyone who had a gender dysphoria related surgery before the age of 18 ever. Nor did I ever hear from any endocrinologist who started HRT before the age of 16.
The gatekeeping from medical professionals is massive, there isn’t a single professional who doesn’t question ones identity 20 times during the course of months just to be sure.
Non-westerner here so I’m very much out of the loop. I’m a bit confused when I read headlines like this one. Does “allowing gender-affirming treatment” mean that transgender minors are allowed to have HRT or surgeries? to me it seems like a bad idea giving a minor (trans or cis) access to surgeries and/or hormone therapy. Does the ban have other ramifications that I don’t understand? Can someone explain please
trans youth gender-affirming treatment doesn’t use hormones. it uses puberty blockers, so that the child doesn’t go through puberty, and when they turn 18 they can state HRT with a better outcome. the therapy is reversible, so when the child stops taking puberty blockers, they undergo normal puberty process, and it’s a recommended treatment for trans youth by multiple pediatrician and psychiatrist societies and associations.
Trans youth can access HRT, and in some cases surgeries. The only age-related requirement in WPATH v8 is that puberty has started, there’s no need to wait until 18.
For reference cis people typically start puberty around age 11, though 8-14 is the starting range.
Never heard of anyone who had a gender dysphoria related surgery before the age of 18 ever. Nor did I ever hear from any endocrinologist who started HRT before the age of 16.
The gatekeeping from medical professionals is massive, there isn’t a single professional who doesn’t question ones identity 20 times during the course of months just to be sure.
Why should you be consulted on the question of what should be permitted? Are you a doctor, parent, or transgender child?
If they agree it is necessary, what do the ramifications matter?