The Experiences of Gender Diverse and Trans Children and Youth Considering and Initiating Medical Interventions in Canadian Gender-Affirming Speciality Clinics
/The Experiences of Gender Diverse and Trans Children and Youth Considering and Initiating Medical Interventions in Canadian Gender-Affirming Speciality Clinics
Published in: International Journal of Transgenderism. August 30, 2019. Authors: Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, Julia Temple-Newhook, Frank Suerich-Gulick, Stephen Feder, Margaret L. Lawson, Jennifer Ducharme,
A new study confirming what we've seen in so many others: youth undergoing social and medical transition experience improved self esteem and mental health, and do NOT regret transition.
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“Young people felt positively overall about the care they had received and the medical interventions they had undergone, with many recounting an improvement in their well-being since starting care. Most commonly shared frustrations concerned delays in accessing interventions due to clinic waiting lists or treatment protocols. Some youth described unwanted medication side-effects and others said they had questioned their transition trajectory at certain moments in the past, but none regretted their choice to undergo the interventions…”
“The results suggest that trans youth and gender diverse children are benefiting from medical gender-affirming care they receive at specialty clinics, providing valuable insight into their decision-making processes in seeking care and specific interventions. Providers might consider adjusting aspects of treatment protocols (such as age restrictions, puberty stage, or mental health assessments) or applying them on a more flexible, case-by-case basis to reduce barriers to access...”
“The sometimes difficult and protracted personal and family processes youth underwent before or while accessing gender-affirming care provide insight into the sense of determination and at times extreme urgency many youth expressed in their quest for medical interventions…”
“Overall, medical interventions, whether in the form of hormone blockers, hormone therapy or surgery appear to be very positive in the lives of trans youth who participated in our study, even for those who reported side effects. They experienced improved general happiness or well-being and reported feeling that their body was better aligned with their gender identity…”