Medical Options for Care of Gender Diverse and Transgender Youth
February 2020
in “
Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
”
TLDR Early medical support for transgender youth is important for their health, with low regret for gender-affirming hormone use and a need for knowledgeable care providers.
The document from February 2020 provides a comprehensive overview of medical care for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth, emphasizing the importance of early medical guidance and support for positive health outcomes. It reviews interventions such as pubertal suppression with GnRH analogues and gender affirming hormones (GAH) like testosterone and estradiol, noting a very low risk of regret for starting GAH among TGD individuals. The document details medical options for menstrual suppression, contraception, and fertility preservation, highlighting that testosterone therapy leads to cessation of menses in 55%-85% of patients within 6 months. It discusses the importance of cancer screening and reproductive health care, recommending chest exams for TGD persons post-male chest reconstructive surgery and self-collected HPV swabs as an alternative to traditional cervical cancer screenings. The document calls for knowledgeable providers in gender-affirming care and more accessible fertility preservation options, emphasizing that ignoring gender in health care can cause significant emotional distress for TGD individuals.
