Doctors Debate Whether Trans Teens Need Therapy Before Hormones
An upsurge in teenagers requesting hormones or surgeries to better align their bodies with their gender identities has ignited a debate among doctors over when to provide these treatments.
An international group of experts focused on transgender health last month released a draft of new guidelines, the gold standard of the field that informs what insurers will reimburse for care.
Many doctors and activists praised the 350-page document, which was updated for the first time in nearly a decade, for including transgender people in its drafting and for removing language requiring adults to have psychological assessments before getting access to hormone therapy.
But the guidelines take a more cautious stance on teens. A new chapter dedicated to adolescents says thatthey must undergo mental health assessments and must have questioned their gender identity for “several years” before receiving drugs or surgeries.
