LGBT News Puberty blocker for children considering sex change

Interesting, and I think it could be potentially useful, but it has its disadvantages - it could be socially awkward to not have had ones voice break, for example. Also, how many parents would be willing to let their kids take this kind of stuff?
Kwyjibo

 

My Therapist recommended this to me.
I'd love to get on this so just everything stops. D:<

Well, I'd say most MtF's would already be crossdressing more or less, so they would pass more as female without such a masculine voice.
and it depends on the parents. Are they supportive of their child for being Transgender? I doubt my mom on her own, would let me take it. But, with my Therapist she probably would do it for me.

 

My only scruple I have with this, do children really know what it means to be transgender? What happens if we get it wrong?

I thought I may have been "one of those people" when I was eight or nine, but it certainly wasn't the case later on.

I personally don't think doctors should be doing anything of this sort until the child turns at least thirteen.

 

I've thought for a long time that more people should do this. It gives people more time to sort things out before everything starts changing.

 

I think that for us to understand this issue, we first need to be able to understand what processes are at work for people who are born into the wrong gender. Science is showing physical aspects to the determination of sexual orientation and gender identity, and as we gain further understanding of the chemical and physical aspects of the brain and body that are involved with these elements of orientation and identity, we can probably make a better case for the ethnical question of these injections.

 

Well, hold the phone. Let's say we did have an injection that "cured" GID but only early in life...surely you wouldn't want to make the case that this wouldn't be better for the child in the long run. The "Holy Grail" for this condition would indeed be something that changed gender on the inside (brain wise) instead of on the outside where it's going to be much more difficult to do.

There was a doctor who did studies on children exhibiting early symptoms of GID and a subsequent outcry from activists that it amounted to mere "conversion therapy." I agreed with their objections, but only on a practical standpoint; the doctor's choice of remediation was simple talk therapy which is obviously not going to work for gender issues. If, however, he had a safe way to prevent GID by administration of a chemical agent early enough in life, I can't say that's not going to make the child's life much easier and pain-free down the line.

For all intents and purposes, it is still a disorder, and medicine should still commit itself to its cure. These cures have to work though. Christian talk therapy woo does not deserve serious study. I would also say early childhood intervention doesn't deserve much study either since much of the "damage" is done at birth. The problem is much more than a "smaller" part of the brain or whatnot. The best way to cure GID, in my opinion, is in-utero diagnosis and treatment, but that's obviously a fair way down the line.

 

The professionals who give out the blockers do everything possible to make sure that the pills are what the child wants and more importantly what is in the childs interests.

 

By the time the child turns 13, they will be going through the changes of puberty, which can be very traumatic. (It was for me.) And once they go through puberty, they will have to pay for an expensive surgery to alter their bodies, when they didn't need to. Plus, if a child decides that they ARE cisgender, the doctors will stop the hormone blockers and they will continue puberty normally. Also, being transgender is no longer considered a mental illness, like homosexuality once was. The process of getting a therapist is a formality to make sure a person is fully trans* and they only have to go through that bull if they want hormones or surgery (which some don't and that's cool)

 

I think that there's nothing wrong with puberty blockers for young transgender teens as a way to prevent potentially traumatizing physical development that they do not want, but have no control over until they are old enough to transition fully if they so desire.

 

On an unrelated note, I kind of liked going through puberty,and with the whole process would have been slower. Would have been fun to have pills that just slow it down. I miss having emotions/moods/feelings/longings that intense.

 

I have a problem with so much of what is said here. First off, it is ridiculous to argue that the brain would be easier to change than rest of the body. We understand how the body works. We have known for years how exactly the tissues, tendons, ligaments connect. We don't understand how the brain works. It is extremely complicated, full of pathways and connections, and scientists that have been working on it for decades have not even come close to figuring it out.

"it is still a disorder" Actually, no. And using this term (GID) can be really disrespectful. Categorizing someone's gender expression as a disorder is rude and ignorant, which is why in the new DSM they have a replaced section called "gender dysphoria" which more accurately speaks to the experiences of trans* people.

"In-utero diagnosis and treatment" The phrase really hits a nerve with me. Sure, many if not most of the trans* community would not wish dysphoria on a worst enemy. But this doesn't mean that we aren't proud of who we are. Many of us would actually say that being trans* has made us stronger people and we wouldn't be who we are today without that part of us. This is akin to saying if a non-straight sexual orientation could be cured in the womb, we should do it - which is also ridiculous. In a world that did what you are suggesting, diversity would be limited, which would be a very sad day.

Furthermore, throughout this post, it seems to be assuming that every trans* person wants to go through HRT and SRS (or in the original post's case, blockers.) This is completely disregarding the identity of any non-binary/genderqueer identity. Gender is not black and white.

The little research that has been done has shown statistically significant differences in single nucleotide and repeat length polymorphisms. This is in the genetic (DNA) code not only is it impossible to change this in-utero, it is unethical.

There is no need for a cure because we are not sick. There is only a very personal choice on what treatments we feel comfortable pursuing in order to live a more complete and happier life.

As for how I feel on the blockers - just as GRS and HRT is a personal, individual decision, blockers should be on a case by case basis. If it can save even one person from the pain and anguish that is familiar to going through the wrong puberty, this it is worth having available, but obviously on a case-by-case basis. Delaying puberty for a couple years won't do any harm and has a good change of reducing harm down the road.

 

Yes, good. I'd be a lot happier had I gotten blockers.
I'm starting high school now.
I've barely started transitioning.
I think there is something wrong here...
There's no harm in letting the kids think about it; why are people bitching about child abuse?

 

I know this was said over two years ago, and maybe this individual has changed their view, but when I read something like this, my heart turns cold. Being male is a part of me, it's innate, and something messing with my mind and changing something so fundamental to me would be destroying a part of me. It really scares me.

 

Ah, I didn't realize the thread was so old. I feel the same way.

 

This sounds wonderful, but this could be really, really dangerous if it isnt tested fully or given too early or late...

I mean, im not trying to bring it down any, but stopping, or altering a process while it is in motion could be really bad. But if it works that would be incredible!

 

I don't know, I think kids given blockers have turned out fine.

Yeah, I just looked this up, here's a study where the kids were given blockers:

Medical intervention in transgender adolescents appears to be safe and effective | Science Codex

 

They've already used this treatment here for years, and I think it works fine. It's not so the teens have longer to think about it, though (although I guess that's a nice addition); it's because you're not allowed hormone treatment until you're 16, so they just postpone puberty a couple of years, so that hormone treatment can begin when puberty begins (and that way puberty can give the right/wanted results right away at once).
And they only give you the blockers in the first place after you've officially been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and the doctors have decided you'll get hormone treatment (when you turn 16).

Sounds like a perfect system to me.

 

Okay, you should realize that many of us hated that our voices changed. So, no, it wouldn't be socially awkward. It's hard to be yourself when your body is changing in the wrong way. Delaying puberty is completely harmless and doesn't have any disadvantages. In the unlikely event that the child does change his or her mind, they just need to stop taking blockers and their puberty will start. No problem. Although, most transgender children who go on blockers end up on hormone therapy and going through their preferred puberty instead.

 

A lot of people seem to condemn parents who help their child transition by saying it's wrong to do anything irreversible. These blockers are reversible. Puberty is not. Letting a trans child go through the wrong puberty is far more dangerous, and far less reversible, than letting them go on blockers.