Reuters article on trans youth care

[Anonymous]

Reuters has written a very good investigative article on gender affirming care for trans youth. It seems balanced and thoughtful to me.

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-care/

Also, a heads up, I will ask that the thread get locked if this goes off the rails.

[Anonymous]

What a great article - thanks for sharing.

We have family friends who have a daughter like the one featured in the article - it's interesting to read about all the hard decisions they face and will help us be
supportive.

[Anonymous]

I agree the article is balanced. I also think that the two children featured representative of the two sides of the issue. Ryace has exhibited gender dysphoria from such a young age and is overall a well adjusted kid. Transitioning will undoubtedly be the right move for her. Ethan, on the other hand, strikes me as being unsatisfied with his life and just wanting to be someone else altogether. Ethan's gender dysphoria probably stems from other mental health issues, unlike with Ryace where the gender dysphoria is the primary diagnosis.

What really struck me is that people are making an absolute ton of money off of kids transitioning. Anytime there's a lot of money to be made fast with little oversight we should all be skeptical.

These are some quotes that stood out:

While the number of gender clinics treating children in the United States has grown from zero to more than 100 in the past 15 years – and waiting lists are long – strong evidence of the efficacy and possible long-term consequences of that treatment remains scant.

and

The analysis, the first of its kind, found that at least 121,882 children ages 6 to 17 were diagnosed with gender dysphoria in the five years to the end of 2021. More than 42,000 of those children were diagnosed just last year, up 70% from 2020.

and

Dr Cole, an Akron native and specialist in adolescent medicine, founded the hospital’s Center for Gender Affirming Medicine in 2019. The clinic saw 25 patients that year. It now is treating more than 350 young people.

and most especially these quotes about the warning on the blockers:

In the report, the FDA said suicidal ideation and depression are “serious events,” and there is “enough evidence to warrant informing prescribers, even in the face of uncertainty about causality.”

Dr Brad Miller, division director of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and M Health Masonic Children’s Hospital, expressed surprise at the number of adverse event reports Reuters found. He said he was particularly concerned because doctors prescribe puberty blockers for transgender children, who are already at higher risk of mental health problems.

[Anonymous]

OP. The 70% number struck me as well. That is such a sharp increase.

[Anonymous]

Mom of a trans daughter. This was a pretty balanced article, but I still think that this is really none of anyone's business unless you are a person who is trans or their parent. I understand that quite a lot of parents are afraid when their kid comes out--some for really legitimate reasons and some who may just never accept it no matter what. And the article is right that it's very hard to make a clear decision in some cases. But if you aren't trans and/or you don't have to make the decision whether or not to let your kids go on puberty blockers or hormones, why do you care? There is such a moral panic about something that affects relatively few people.

A few things....

I did notice the article said that the number of kids who came out was up 40% from 2020, but it didn't take into account the pandemic, when medical care in general was very limited and most kids weren't at school. So, either the pandemic caused some anxiety which kids mistakenly believe is gender dysphoria OR they just didn't seek treatment during that time OR both? It's pretty hard to know.

It's not actually very uncommon not to come out until puberty. The idea that people always know at 3 or 4 was something that I believed too. But in my own kid, it was actually puberty that brought on the anxiety. I think before that she had not seen herself particularly gendered, and her dysphoria is not really about presentation. It's about her body. When she started getting male secondary sex characteristics, the dysphoria really started.

It does seem like a lot of parents don't push the issue of fertility preservation, and that does surprise me--depending on the kid's age. That was a non starter for us. We insisted on it, and I'm not sorry. I think it would be more difficult for natal girls, and I guess testosterone doesn't affect long term fertility? I admit I don't know. But I did know that blockers and estrogen would affect my child's fertility, so we preserved it.

As for waiting until your kid is 18, if you really think it's going to go away then fine. But 18 is just a number. If it doesn't, you're just making your kid miserable for longer and telling them you don't to be a part of it. And if that's your choice, that's okay....that's your choice. But it might affect your relationship with your kid. And then you lose all control over things like fertility. I don't know anyone personally who has had bottom surgery before 18. I don't think most insurance would cover that. I know of one or two people who have had top surgery (natal girls...our insurance doesn't actually cover breast augmentation until over 18). That would be a very difficult decision for me as a parent. If my child does decide to eventually have bottom surgery, I would want them to be well into their twenties because it's a very difficult surgery that can have some not great outcomes. I hope that my support now will help in her allowing me to help her make decisions like that later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom of a trans daughter. This was a pretty balanced article, but I still think that this is really none of anyone's business unless you are a person who is trans or their parent. I understand that quite a lot of parents are afraid when their kid comes out--some for really legitimate reasons and some who may just never accept it no matter what. And the article is right that it's very hard to make a clear decision in some cases. But if you aren't trans and/or you don't have to make the decision whether or not to let your kids go on puberty blockers or hormones, why do you care? There is such a moral panic about something that affects relatively few people.

A few things....

I did notice the article said that the number of kids who came out was up 40% from 2020, but it didn't take into account the pandemic, when medical care in general was very limited and most kids weren't at school. So, either the pandemic caused some anxiety which kids mistakenly believe is gender dysphoria OR they just didn't seek treatment during that time OR both? It's pretty hard to know.

It's not actually very uncommon not to come out until puberty. The idea that people always know at 3 or 4 was something that I believed too. But in my own kid, it was actually puberty that brought on the anxiety. I think before that she had not seen herself particularly gendered, and her dysphoria is not really about presentation. It's about her body. When she started getting male secondary sex characteristics, the dysphoria really started.

It does seem like a lot of parents don't push the issue of fertility preservation, and that does surprise me--depending on the kid's age. That was a non starter for us. We insisted on it, and I'm not sorry. I think it would be more difficult for natal girls, and I guess testosterone doesn't affect long term fertility? I admit I don't know. But I did know that blockers and estrogen would affect my child's fertility, so we preserved it.

As for waiting until your kid is 18, if you really think it's going to go away then fine. But 18 is just a number. If it doesn't, you're just making your kid miserable for longer and telling them you don't to be a part of it. And if that's your choice, that's okay....that's your choice. But it might affect your relationship with your kid. And then you lose all control over things like fertility. I don't know anyone personally who has had bottom surgery before 18. I don't think most insurance would cover that. I know of one or two people who have had top surgery (natal girls...our insurance doesn't actually cover breast augmentation until over 18). That would be a very difficult decision for me as a parent. If my child does decide to eventually have bottom surgery, I would want them to be well into their twenties because it's a very difficult surgery that can have some not great outcomes. I hope that my support now will help in her allowing me to help her make decisions like that later.

OP. Thank you for your thoughtful post.

[Anonymous]

They need to check people born female for hormonal imbalances like PCOS and really take everything into account everything physical. I am 100% all for transitioning and I truly believe people need to be happy whoever they are.

But at the same time, there are a lot of physical attributes in some people and hormonal shifts that can play a big part in their overall health too.

So much more research needs to be done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They need to check people born female for hormonal imbalances like PCOS and really take everything into account everything physical. I am 100% all for transitioning and I truly believe people need to be happy whoever they are.

But at the same time, there are a lot of physical attributes in some people and hormonal shifts that can play a big part in their overall health too.

So much more research needs to be done.

The amount of lesbian and trans with PCOS or had a mother with PCOS is very high. Too much androgen. The earlier you treat it the better.

[Anonymous]

I'm the mom of the trans daughter above. I will just ask again why people care so much about this if it isn't your child? You can see in people's tones that they become very judgmental. Even the article is a little strange because it's not geared to the people who actually have a need for balanced information--which is the parents of kids who come out as trans. It all becomes a lot more confusing when it's your kid and not someone else's theoretical child. But this has just been turned into new fodder for the culture wars, when it actually involves quite a small number of people.

If you have a child who has come out, and you are worried they are making a mistake or just worried in general, I think that's totally normal unless you've always just known they were trans. But why else would you care? Not all lesbians are becoming trans men. It's not really an issue that should concern you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the mom of the trans daughter above. I will just ask again why people care so much about this if it isn't your child? You can see in people's tones that they become very judgmental. Even the article is a little strange because it's not geared to the people who actually have a need for balanced information--which is the parents of kids who come out as trans. It all becomes a lot more confusing when it's your kid and not someone else's theoretical child. But this has just been turned into new fodder for the culture wars, when it actually involves quite a small number of people.

If you have a child who has come out, and you are worried they are making a mistake or just worried in general, I think that's totally normal unless you've always just known they were trans. But why else would you care? Not all lesbians are becoming trans men. It's not really an issue that should concern you.

Do you feel like same about, for example, anorexia or bulimia or cutting? Those are, to some extent, socially contagious. And also more generally an indication of a problem in our culture. An exponential increase in gender dysphoria may be a similar indicator or may just be a concern because of the social contagion aspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the mom of the trans daughter above. I will just ask again why people care so much about this if it isn't your child? You can see in people's tones that they become very judgmental. Even the article is a little strange because it's not geared to the people who actually have a need for balanced information--which is the parents of kids who come out as trans. It all becomes a lot more confusing when it's your kid and not someone else's theoretical child. But this has just been turned into new fodder for the culture wars, when it actually involves quite a small number of people.

If you have a child who has come out, and you are worried they are making a mistake or just worried in general, I think that's totally normal unless you've always just known they were trans. But why else would you care? Not all lesbians are becoming trans men. It's not really an issue that should concern you.

OP. It is not just trans kids. I have a person in my life who is going through an issue with their child where the child has said they aren’t trans, but desperately wants puberty blockers because the child wholeheartedly believes blockers just “pause puberty” with no other impact. Child is diagnosed mentally ill and does not want to go through puberty, but not because child believes they are transgender. Child is in an “affirming care” state and can probably get access to blockers without parental permission.

Personally I believe that the mainstream media has abdicated their role here by not asking questions (this article is one of the few I’ve seen that does not discuss puberty blockers as purely pausing puberty, with no other discussion of health impact). It has allowed right wing ideologues to fill the factual gap in the public discourse, which has been horrifying and very harmful IMO. I think it’s better to be open and honest about the medical complexities of puberty blockers rather than using the trite (and untrue, as it turns out) language of “pausing puberty.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the mom of the trans daughter above. I will just ask again why people care so much about this if it isn't your child? You can see in people's tones that they become very judgmental. Even the article is a little strange because it's not geared to the people who actually have a need for balanced information--which is the parents of kids who come out as trans. It all becomes a lot more confusing when it's your kid and not someone else's theoretical child. But this has just been turned into new fodder for the culture wars, when it actually involves quite a small number of people.

If you have a child who has come out, and you are worried they are making a mistake or just worried in general, I think that's totally normal unless you've always just known they were trans. But why else would you care? Not all lesbians are becoming trans men. It's not really an issue that should concern you.

I get that you're defensive and protective of your own daughter, but this is also a social issue and people like to be informed. Maybe try giving people the benefit of the doubt instead of assuming the worst intentions. I read up on lots of things that don't affect me personally. Why? I like to be a well rounded and knowledgeable human being.

That said, this article was too long for me to get all the way through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the mom of the trans daughter above. I will just ask again why people care so much about this if it isn't your child? You can see in people's tones that they become very judgmental. Even the article is a little strange because it's not geared to the people who actually have a need for balanced information--which is the parents of kids who come out as trans. It all becomes a lot more confusing when it's your kid and not someone else's theoretical child. But this has just been turned into new fodder for the culture wars, when it actually involves quite a small number of people.

If you have a child who has come out, and you are worried they are making a mistake or just worried in general, I think that's totally normal unless you've always just known they were trans. But why else would you care? Not all lesbians are becoming trans men. It's not really an issue that should concern you.

these are good questions and you have a good point. in the vast majority of cases, this is for parents to decide.

but what does impact me is the way the discussion about transitioning has led to campaings to silence people (including people with an interest in the issue). if a journalist or scientist can get bullied out of researching and writing about trans issues because their views don’t support the orthodoxy, then yeah, that is a problem to me, because it is a dynamic that can extend to any issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the mom of the trans daughter above. I will just ask again why people care so much about this if it isn't your child? You can see in people's tones that they become very judgmental. Even the article is a little strange because it's not geared to the people who actually have a need for balanced information--which is the parents of kids who come out as trans. It all becomes a lot more confusing when it's your kid and not someone else's theoretical child. But this has just been turned into new fodder for the culture wars, when it actually involves quite a small number of people.

If you have a child who has come out, and you are worried they are making a mistake or just worried in general, I think that's totally normal unless you've always just known they were trans. But why else would you care? Not all lesbians are becoming trans men. It's not really an issue that should concern you.

these are good questions and you have a good point. in the vast majority of cases, this is for parents to decide.

but what does impact me is the way the discussion about transitioning has led to campaings to silence people (including people with an interest in the issue). if a journalist or scientist can get bullied out of researching and writing about trans issues because their views don’t support the orthodoxy, then yeah, that is a problem to me, because it is a dynamic that can extend to any issue.

So you're "concerned" because you're worried about being "canceled" on some other issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the mom of the trans daughter above. I will just ask again why people care so much about this if it isn't your child? You can see in people's tones that they become very judgmental. Even the article is a little strange because it's not geared to the people who actually have a need for balanced information--which is the parents of kids who come out as trans. It all becomes a lot more confusing when it's your kid and not someone else's theoretical child. But this has just been turned into new fodder for the culture wars, when it actually involves quite a small number of people.

If you have a child who has come out, and you are worried they are making a mistake or just worried in general, I think that's totally normal unless you've always just known they were trans. But why else would you care? Not all lesbians are becoming trans men. It's not really an issue that should concern you.

these are good questions and you have a good point. in the vast majority of cases, this is for parents to decide.

but what does impact me is the way the discussion about transitioning has led to campaings to silence people (including people with an interest in the issue). if a journalist or scientist can get bullied out of researching and writing about trans issues because their views don’t support the orthodoxy, then yeah, that is a problem to me, because it is a dynamic that can extend to any issue.

So you're "concerned" because you're worried about being "canceled" on some other issue?

I’m concerned both about this issue, and accepting this kind of silencing for other issues, yes.