I was too young to transition — now I want to help other teenagers

[IwantToRetire]

Bethany feels she was rushed by doctors into taking testosterone and having a double mastectomy,

“I do regret the loss of time,” she says. “I am 26 and I think: ‘What have I done?’ For the past seven years, I felt like I was climbing a mountain to reach what I was told would be a future utopia — only to get to the top and find it was a cliff. ...

“I feel more care could have been taken to explore my feelings and motivations before a referral for drug and surgical treatment that has irreversible physical consequences,” ...

She is speaking out amid concerns that hundreds of 17-year-olds who were on the waiting list for the Tavistock, England’s only NHS gender identity clinic for children, are being referred to adult NHS gender clinics.

“I wish someone had advised me to properly explore my feelings when I was 19. I was offered no psychological therapy . . . it is only now, at the age of 26, that I feel I am a mature adult, and it is no coincidence that it is now I am realising that transitioning is no solution.”

without further psychological investigation beyond that first appointment, the consultant referred her to an endocrinologist “with a view to discussing testosterone supplements”. The endocrinologist, as well as working in the NHS, also operated privately. Within weeks, Bethany had started injections of the hormone.

After a second phonecall appointment six months later, Bethany was then referred to a breast surgeon and an NHS adult gender clinic in Exeter and to a breast surgeon to have her breasts removed. Six months after starting testosterone, Bethany, by then 20, had a double mastectomy. The surgeon worked for the NHS but did the operation privately. It cost £6,000. ...

“It is alarming but people need to understand this is worse than Scientology, it is like a cult,” she said. “It’s in schools, in universities, on social media. How have we allowed this to happen? It has to stop.”

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-was-too-young-to-transition-now-i-want-to-help-other-teenagers-q928dzlpr

Article is behind a paywall can be read by copying the Times link into box provided at https://archive.ph/

[EmpressaurusOfCats]

Here’s a shareToken link to the article, too.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/96b01454-fc8c-11ed-bd7b-4817e327d68f?shareToken=2a6d5ff2704501f1d09839e2ca763e6a

[LotsOfBalloons]

Oh its so sad. I now know 3 teens just within my wider friendship circle who are considering this. All 3 born female and all 3I imagine could be classes as autistic or autistic traits. I don't know well enough to know if diagnosed or not.

And 1 boy but no surgery being considered there.

It's everywhere.

[IwantToRetire]

Thanks for the share token. When I read it last night it was all available.

But yes really concerning, and I hope a lot of people read it ie more than on FWR.

This needs to be taken into account every time someone says how transitioning is essential for well being.

[IwantToRetire]

Also just to add that as share tokens can expire someone has archived the is https://archive.ph - if you go to that web site and paste in the non share token link, ie in the OP, you will find it there.

[TangledUpinBlu]

Our poor girls.
Sometimes I still struggle to believe this is actually happening. It’s so regressive and barbaric.
How come women can have penises but men/transmen can’t have breasts?

[IwantToRetire]

How come in the 21st century so many young women and girls are terrified of being lesbian.

And go to such lengths to reject that being who they are.

Or is it that parents make them feel they cant be, or that parents never even think that that may be the "problem"?

So, so sad.

[FarSideOfTheSun]

The article references a letter to the Sunday times signed by 20 clinicians urging caution with hormone treatment or surgery under the age of 25 but I can’t find the letter anywhere. Has it not been published?

[IwantToRetire]

Yes it was published in yesterday's paper, but it doesn't seem to be on the web site.

On the printed page the letter in titled "No lessons learnt in gender clinics" and I got nothing from googling that.

Most of the text is in the article, but really strange not to have it on the web site.