Should children be medically transitioning to the other gender?
Encountered an interesting article in Reuters about an “explosion” in the number of minors who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria (a 70% increase from 2020) and seeking gender-affirming medical care, including the use of hormones and puberty-blockers. The article stated that “Puberty blockers and sex hormones do not have…FDA approval for children’s gender care…the drugs’ long-term effects on fertility and sexual function remain unclear.” There is apparently an increase in suicidal thoughts among children taking them and the drugs now come with warnings to that effect.
Only a small percentage of children diagnosed with gender dysphoria are actually taking these drugs, but the number is rising fast. Many people believe gender-affirming care is life-saving and essential. Others consider it child abuse (and some red states have banned it). Many doctors have voiced concerns about usage of these drugs, but there is strong social opposition to criticizing their usage. Some European countries that formerly took a very liberal stance on gender-affirming care for minors, like Sweden and the UK, are now restricting it.
1. Should children be receiving this kind of medical intervention or should they have to wait until adulthood? Some of these treatments are obviously much less effective or useless after adulthood.
2. Is it possible that there are social, non-biological reasons that the number of trans youths is rising?
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Isn’t that between the parents, the kid, and the doctor/psychologist?
I don’t think one answer is for all children.
Per case situation, I feel.
All options for a happy child should be on the table, I feel.
Seroxat has also been seen as a drug with, as a side effect, high(er) suicide (attempts), but, as I can see it being here too, the drug treats a condition that already has thoughts of suicide in it.
The sooner the better, transitioning to the gender that someone feels (is).
I think this is a thing we just don’t know very well, is getting overdiagnosed because it’s trendy, and alot of people are going to get harmed in the long run.
Let me first say, that there absolutely are people with legit medical gender conditions. There are people who are going to choose to be committed to a different gender than their birth gender their whole lives.
But there are ALSO a whole lot more people who are just confused children who are being bombarded by propaganda they don’t really understand, but who have come to realize that becoming part of a ‘victim group’ is empowering because anyone picking on you gets accused of a ‘hate crime’.
I think the political pressure groups that are advocating for the equal treatment of a small number of people have created a situation where tomboys are being told they’re trans. A situation where someone who’s just having a rough time adjusting during teen years is subjected to life altering hormones and surgery from which there is no coming back…not all the way back.
I think we need to pump the brakes and just be MORE SURE on a case by case basis. We generally don’t let children make decisions because they don’t freakin’ know anything. We don’t let kids get tattoos because they are too young….but they’re old enough to decide they think they’re a different gender than they really are?
I think this issue, and ALOT of mental issues in general are things we REALLY suck at understanding and treating as a society. Understanding the mind is a ‘science’ that is about where medicine was shortly before Germ Theory. It’s little more than a bunch of people guessing. We’re just now getting to the point in microbiology where we really understand WHY certain treatments work and how diseases affect the body. Before that, we were one step better than ‘guessing’. We need a ‘moon shot’ to revolutionize our understanding of psychology and all of these issues.
Until then, we’re just feeling our way around the dark. We’re better off taking this slow and erring on the side of inaction than action, I think. We’ll harm fewer people that way.
If it keeps them from committing suicide, yes. It saved my son’s life.
@Entropy People have been taking it slow for hundreds of years. We finally have science and education that is available to everyone. Education that saves lives.
My only hope is that we see more because the social stigma is decreasing. Is that overly optimistic?
It is a personal choice. Hopefully the parents are supportive of their child who knows themselves better than anyone.
They need the support now. Waiting until 18 is a cop out. The child need emotional support and acceptance first and foremost. What comes after that is mostly therapist and psychological support. States like Alabama have written laws to outlaw even these basic needs prior to any hormone therapy.
^I noticed a new response to this question but avoided it because I assumed the worst. I was pleasantly surprised once I had the courage to look.
This is a difficult life to live and I’m only the parent.
@raum I would like to suggest that on threads of a sensitive topic it’s not a good idea to post links without explanation. I will not click that link for fear that it will lead to some transphobic site that you want us to see because you can’t believe such hate exists.
Ooh, good point. I’ll try to be more mindful of that.
It’s a link to a Stanford study on how hormone therapy positively impacts trans youth.
^Thank you for sharing the link.
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