Delaying puberty could help gender-confused teens

[Natasha]

Delaying puberty could help gender-confused teens

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16211-delaying-puberty-could-help-genderconfused-teens-.html
Linda Geddes
12/5/2008

Young teenagers with extreme gender identity disorder should be given drugs to block puberty so that they don't have to experience distressing changes to their bodies which they perceive to be out of line with their true gender.

So say draft international guidelines issued by the Endocrine Society this week – the first to offer advice to doctors on this controversial issue.

[Alyx.]

Delaying puberty could help gender-confused teens

O RLY?

*Sarcasm*

[Kaweah]

So say draft international guidelines (pdf format) issued by the Endocrine Society this week – the first to offer advice to doctors on this controversial issue.

Clinics in other countries have also begun to offer the treatment, including Canada, Australia, Germany, and a handful of clinics in the US. However, it remains deeply controversial, with countries including the UK refusing to allow medical intervention until the age of 16, by which time puberty is usually in full swing.

Offering endocrine blockers at the onset of puberty is profoundly compassionate.  We, of course, know that, but many in society at large don't understand the issue.  I hope the international guidelines are accepted and that these guidelines help to convince other doctors and therapists to make hormone blockers available to those who need them. 

I would have loved the option of blocking puberty, and I want very much our future generations to have that choice.

[klodefm42]

I sort of wish many governments would look in the subject more seriously. Come to think of it I am amazed that most governments avoid sexuality and tg/ts issues except only to enforce laws that in turn take away rights from these people.