Children of 12 to be allowed gender drugs to prepare for sex change

[femtastic]

Do you consider this to be a positive development?

Children of 12 to be allowed gender drugs to prepare for sex change

CHILDREN as young as 12 are to be allowed drugs to prepare them for changing sex.

The controversial treatment halts puberty, stunting sex organs and preventing the growth of facial hair and sperm in boys, and breasts in girls.

The injections, previously available only to over-15s with gender identity disorder, are being made available to younger people under an NHS study after pressure from families and doctors.

Doctors admit most children with the problem do not go on to have a sex change, often turning out to be gay. But blocking puberty hormones can make surgery easier if they need it.

Dr Polly Carmichael, who runs Britain?s only GID clinic in London, said several under-16s were prepared to sign up for the jabs, until now available only in the US, Holland and Germany at that age.

She said: ?The majority of our referrals are 15-plus. Of the children aged 12 and 14, there?s a number who are keen to take part.?

The study was approved by the ­National Research Ethics Service, which oversees hundreds of NHS projects.

Is it not also the case that most adults who identify as transsexual (not just transgender, but actually transsexual) do not want to have surgery? So how can doctors know that even if a child does continue to identify as transsexual as an adult, they will want to change their body as part of that?

I used to go out clubbing a lot and had a friend, who I shared a flat with, waiting for a sex change. She (he) had breast implants and was on hormones but had not had other surgery yet.

Anyway, said friend had a life threatening drug overdose and was in hospital for a while, that was when we found out that she was only 17. She had been on hormones and had implants done when she was 15, all illegally. She was very glad she had started so young and had been able to stop her development into a man.

I don't know what the ultimate outcome was though and how she felt about it all years later. This was in the US.

Am glad you're nephew is getting help Lockets. This must be very upsetting for his parents, as well as for him. It's always terrible to see your child suffering, especially emotionally. In no way the same scale, but DD1 is going through the "I'm fat and ugly" thing. No matter what I say to help she can't hear me. Hope he gets the support/help he needs and his family too.

I don't understand why it wouldn't garner support?

Whats the peanut gallery???

dittany, you don't have to believe them, but what how else would you treat someone with dysphoria? faced with someone who is convinced they are in the wrong body, to the point of feeling suicidal, with a treatment (SRS) available that can help them live a full and happy life, what would you do instead?

we're not very good at "fixing" people's minds. they tried with homosexuality for decades, with much pain and very little results. SRS is to me a compassionate response to a fellow human being in need. if a 12 year old is convinced they are in the wrong body, absolutely convinced, and with the full side effects explained to them, I think it should be their choice to delay puberty to give themselves a chance to think things through properly. can you imagine the horror of watching yourself turn into a man day by day by day when you "know" you are "meant to be" a woman?

but "proper psychological support" doesn't exist for many trans people - ie they have tried and failed to access any psychological support that made a meaningful difference about how they feel.

I agree SGM that a less polarised world would be hugely positive, allowing children to explore who they were, and perhaps decide they were an effeminate man or butch woman (regardless of sexuality) and have society accept them as such. but there will still be people for whom "butch woman" is not enough. inside they feel just feel male.