Supporting Transgender Youth

Written by Dr. Emma Durham, Psy.D.

July 24, 2024

Despite some popular discourse regarding transgender youth healthcare, irreversible medical intervention, such as surgery and hormone-replacement therapy, is not a treatment option for prepubescent children according to the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, Endocrine Society, and World Professional Association of Transgender Health guidelines. This is due to uncertainty regarding whether a child will maintain their transgender identity throughout the lifetime. Many children who explore their gender in childhood may end up identifying as gay, bisexual, or another queer sexuality instead. At this time, it is uncertain what percentage of transgender children will maintain this identity throughout their lifetime. However, it has been found that transgender children who are supported in exploring their gender have less psychological distress and higher well-being than children who are not supported in their gender exploration.

Based on this research, the best way to support your transgender child is to support them in engaging in social transitioning to explore their gender. This includes supporting name and pronoun changes, and allowing them to experiment with clothing, hair, make-up, etc. As puberty begins, you may wish to consult with an endocrinologist about puberty suppressing hormones. The benefit of this treatment is that the child will not develop secondary sex characteristics that are difficult or impossible to reverse in adulthood, such as the development of breast tissue or deepening of the voice. Further, this treatment has been found to only delay physical development, while cognitive development continues. However, as stated previously, it is not known how to identify which children will maintain their transgender identity into adulthood, therefore one downside of puberty suppressing hormones is that a child may wish to discontinue this treatment and will then be behind their peers in physical development. This is why many endocrinologists will require a psychological evaluation in support or against the use of puberty suppressing hormone treatment.

If your child is interested in this treatment option, you need assistance in supporting your trans child, or your trans child is needing additional help in managing distress, ARMH is here for you! All of our clinicians use a gender affirming approach to assist in exploring gender and identifying the right options for each individual client.

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