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A12 HEALTH
Tuesday 21 June 2022

Trans kids' treatment can start younger,

new guidelines say

"Certainly there are adoles-
cents that do not have the
emotional or cognitive ma-
turity to make an informed
decision," he said.
"That is why we recom-
mend a careful multidisci-
plinary assessment."
The updated guidelines in-
clude recommendations
for treatment in adults,
but the teen guidance is
bound to get more atten-
tion. It comes amid a surge
in kids referred to clinics of-
Dr. David Klein, right, an Air Force Major and chief of adolescent fering transgender medical
medicine at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, listens as Amanda treatment, along with new
Brewer, left, speaks with her daughter, Jenn Brewer, 13, as the efforts to prevent or restrict
teenager has blood drawn during a monthly appointment for the treatment.
monitoring her treatment at the hospital in Fort Belvoir, Va., on
Sept. 7, 2016. Brewer is transitioning from male to female. Many experts say more
Associated Press kids are seeking such treat-
ment because gender-
By LINDSEY TANNER The update is based on ex- questioning children are
AP Medical Writer pert opinion and a review more aware of their medi-
A leading transgender of scientific evidence on cal options and facing less
health association has the benefits and harms of stigma.
lowered its recommended transgender medical treat- Critics, including some from
minimum age for starting ment in teens whose gen- within the transgender
gender transition treat- der identity doesn't match treatment community, say
ment, including sex hor- the sex they were assigned some clinics are too quick
mones and surgeries. at birth, the group said. to offer irreversible treat-
The World Professional As- Such evidence is limited ment to kids who would
sociation for Transgen- but has grown in the last otherwise outgrow their
der Health said hormones decade, the group said, gender-questioning.
could be started at age 14, with studies suggesting the Psychologist Erica Ander-
two years earlier than the treatments can improve son resigned her post as
group's previous advice, psychological well-being a board member of the
and some surgeries done and reduce suicidal be- World Professional Associa-
at age 15 or 17, a year or havior. tion for Transgender Health
so earlier than previous Starting treatment earlier last year after voicing con-
guidance. The group ac- allows transgender teens cerns about "sloppy" treat-
knowledged potential risks to experience physical pu- ment given to kids without
but said it is unethical and berty changes around the adequate counseling.
harmful to withhold early same time as other teens, She is still a group member
treatment. said Dr. Eli Coleman, chair and supports the updated
The association provided of the group's standards guidelines, which empha-
The Associated Press with of care and director of size comprehensive assess-
an advance copy of its the University of Minnesota ments before treatment.
update ahead of publica- Medical School's human But she says dozens of
tion in a medical journal, sexuality program. families have told her that
expected later this year. But he stressed that age doesn't always happen.
The international group is just one factor to be "They tell me horror stories.
promotes evidence-based weighed. Emotional ma- They tell me, 'Our child had
standards of care and in- turity, parents' consent, 20 minutes with the doctor'"
cludes more than 3,000 longstanding gender dis- before being offered hor-
doctors, social scientists comfort and a careful psy- mones, she said. "The par-
and others involved in chological evaluation are ents leave with their hair on
transgender health issues. among the others. fire.''
Estimates on the number
of transgender youth and
adults worldwide vary,
partly because of different
definitions.
The association's new
guidelines say data from
mostly Western countries
suggest a range of be-
tween a fraction of a per-
cent in adults to up to 8%
in kids.q