Gender dysphoria is a term that describes a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity. This sense of unease or dissatisfaction may be so intense it can lead to depression and anxiety and have a harmful impact on daily life.
Originally gender dysphoria in minor boys was rare, and in minor girls extremely rare, and the popular protocol for treatment was called “watchful waiting” where the doctor would basically have the child continue to live as their birth sex and wait to start transitioning until they were older if they still had gender dysphoria.
However this treatment has been updated
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/4/e20182162/37381/Ensuring-Comprehensive-Care-and-Support-for
Now it is recommended for minors with gender dysphoria to be put on puberty blockers, and then if their gender dysphoria persists to begin cross hormone therapy to begin transitioning earlier. The idea being that this way when the transgender person is an adult since they didn’t go through their birth sex puberty they will look more like the opposite sex, in addition going through puberty for someone with gender dysphoria can be very emotionally painful and dysphroic.
However this approach is controversial, see this criticism by a Physician from the bottom of the above link where he speaks in defense of the original watchful waiting approach
Currently rates of gender dysphoria in minors is skyrocketing
See this graph of referrals to a gender clinic in the UK
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-data/
For more data, here is some data on referrals of children with gender dysphoria in the USA
No one knows for sure why the rate is increasing. Some argue that this is just the natural rate of gender dysphoric youth, but they didn’t come out in the past due to a hostile environment. Others say this is peer contagion and most of these children do not have true gender dysphoria.
In addition, there is growing controversy about the treatments.
Puberty blockers were initially thought to be completely reversible with minimal side effects. However recently a Swedish investigative journalist documentary was released about some patients reporting serious side effects. See here: https://www.svtplay.se/video/33358590/uppdrag-granskning/mission-investigate-trans-children-avsnitt-1
There are also class action lawsuits for hormonal replacement therapies
https://www.nationalconsumerlawyers.com/hrt/lawsuit/
In the past, reports of patients having regret for undergoing transgender surgeries and treatments was rare. However, there are a growing number of people who call themselves “detransitioners” coming out and claiming to regret the treatments. Some are even sueing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZVpTFUAsBA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8P8RJwVrZQ
Here are some reports of transition regret from the Reddit form /r/detrans (note these are anonymous posts and cannot be confirmed)
https://imgur.com/a/t9kSpNs
So what do you think? Should minors be allowed to begin transition or should the old watchful waiting approach be brought back? Or is there a better way?
