Gender-Dysphoric Kids Hurt by Politicized Doctors

Gender-Dysphoric Kids Hurt by Politicized Doctors
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Nine
states are considering bills to ban hormone treatments for minors who suffer “gender dysphoria,” the phenomenon of feeling severe discomfort in one’s biological sex. The disorder is real, if rare: historically, it afflicts roughly 0.01 percent of the population—overwhelmingly males—and first presents in early childhood. But medicine for transgendered people has become so politicized that doctors now rush to meet patient demands, even for untested treatments on minor children. Republican lawmakers are now scrambling to apply the brakes.

Once used in chemical castration of sex offenders, “puberty blockers” like Lupron are approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for precocious puberty. If a four-year-old girl starts developing breasts, her doctor might prescribe the drug to shut down the overactive part of her pituitary gland. But the FDA has never approved use of puberty blockers to halt normal puberty. Nonetheless, Lupron has become a common first-step medical treatment for children in the early stages of puberty who claim to suffer gender dysphoria. Read Full Article »


Comment
Show comments Hide Comments


Related Articles