Assigned female at birth

My daughter was diagnosed with anxiety at age 4 and peaked again at age 12 and has been uncontrollable since. Right after she diagnosed herself as transgender at age 15, I had switched her to Children’s Hospital Primary Care, Smithville, New Jersey. After 5 mins of meeting her, without background on her anxiety or self esteem issues, they sent me out of the room and told her to go to a clinic at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, PA for hormone treatment.

Three years later, my daughter was having issues with adrenals (high cortisol). I took her to an endocrinologist at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia PA to see if there was a medical issue going on causing her uncontrollable anxiety. Again within 5 mins of meeting her, they sent me out of the room and offered her hormones. When they left the room, I asked them in the hallway why they would offer her hormones without knowing her. The first doctor got very defensive and said she didn’t do anything wrong. A note was in her chart from her primary care doctor that she self identifies as transgender. We were there for an adrenal issue, not a trans issue. Why would they bring that up? I was told by the senior physician that I needed therapy because I cannot accept her identity. The other doctor said that legally in the state of Pennsylvania a 9 year old could go without consent and get hormones.

pitt.substack.com/p/endocrinologist-prescribes-hormones

This is appalling, as is any physical or chemical change implemented before a child really understands what the potential implications for his/her future are. Some 18 year olds are
Sorry FarNorth
The arguments raised here (from previous experience) will probably comment on difference between here and the US, the fact that is only one instance (small numbers of damage don’t count for some) and the lack of proof that the comments on this website are true.
However, this is from a report which some will find inconvenient.
Medicalization is aggressive, experimental, and dangerous. It is often irreversible and involves lifetime (FDA off-label) drugs.

Medicalization has not been shown to be:
X Necessary to heal gender dysphoria (time/psychotherapy sometimes succeed). Do not “conflate treatment, in the broadest sense, with physical intervention”
X Safe: there are known medical dangers to the heart (also here), bones, brain, endocrine, immune system, and fertility. Also unknown are the long term drug/surgery risks (high mortality is seen).
X Effective for improving mental health (including suicidality; mental health outcome evidence is low quality evidence ref,ref,ref). Even after transitioning, there is a similar psychopathology to those with mental issues.Research claiming otherwise is flawed (ref,ref, see also suicide risk essays: ref,ref,ref, ref). Some people are in fact harmed and there is an unknown rising number of people trying to undo their medical transitions (detransitioners). It’s often 4-10 years post medicalization when/if transition fails (here are some reasons/ issues). It’s reportedly painful.

Because I prefer to answer for myself

I think it's a difficult one.

A lot of changes happen in puberty that cannot be easily undone and by the time people are 18,those changes are usually finished.

So balancing the dysphoria and resulting mental illness those changes cause against those who realise transition was not the right choice must be incredibly difficult.

I don't know how we endure this doesn't happen but every effort must be made to prevent it

volver

But lesbians are women. Usually. And what about non-binary people?

Och, I'm away back under my rock. This is too hard.

Some lesbians have a penis. HTH.

Thankyou all or your comments

A lot of changes happen in puberty that cannot be easily undone and by the time people are 18,those changes are usually finished.

And if those changes are disrupted by hormone treatment, they also are irreversible by 18.

Indeed, effort should be made to prevent medication being doled out to any but those who do not respond to any other approach.
At present, that effort is not being made.

Interesting that Finland, Sweden and The Netherlands are stopping chemical treatments of young people. The UK is moving in that direction but the US still sees nothing wrong in it and a Canadian father was imprisoned for calling his biologically female child a daughter.

Mollygo just curious, why "chemical treatment" not hormone treatment?

Are hormones not chemicals?

Mollygo

Interesting that Finland, Sweden and The Netherlands are stopping chemical treatments of young people. The UK is moving in that direction but the US still sees nothing wrong in it and a Canadian father was imprisoned for calling his biologically female child a daughter.

There's a bit more to the story of the Canadian father who was jailed, and it's important to look at the facts rather than swallow the dramatic headlines.

The father opposes the medical treatment his child is undergoing, and the 14 year old has applied for a 'protection order' to restrain the father from publishing, speaking or giving interviews about this case or about personal and medical information.

He has refused to do this, so is in contempt of court. Which is not the same as simply being imprisoned for calling his child his daughter.

Much as it worries me that a 14 year old is making life-changing decisions that could negatively affect the rest of their life - and being encouraged by the school and others - it doesn't help to sensationalise the issue. Contempt of court is contempt of court, regardless.

I sympathise with both the father and the child - but, and this is just a personal opinion, I think 14 is too young an age to make such decisions. This child is too young to join the military, too young to vote, too young to marry, yet is making complex and far-reaching decisions which are normally entrusted to adults on maturity.

I agree Dickens I am aware of the case but I am very wary of commenting on actual cases involving children, we very rarely know whats going on. However I hope those who have thought this was ok for children are faced with the legal consequences of their actions. It is interesting that many countries are running from this as quickly as they can.

Dihydrogen monoxide is a chemical... The word "chemical" doesn't contain much information, that's all

Dickens thank you for that clarification, it really changes things. I hadn't heard of that case so had taken that statement literally

VioletSky

Dihydrogen monoxide is a chemical... The word "chemical" doesn't contain much information, that's all.
Sorry I didn’t know I was expected to educate you as well. Hormones are chemicals. Puberty blockers are hormones and hormones are . . . Hope that helps.

If you have a womb surely you need smear tests, if you have male genitalia you need prostrate checks. I think it ridiculous to think you can just change the sex you want to be viewed as. If you are a man or woman trapped in the wrong body, I understand that. Also men that prefer men, women who prefer women. No one takes any notice.

VioletSky

... thank you for that clarification, it really changes things. I hadn't heard of that case so had taken that statement literally

You know that adage, "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is" - well I apply the same principle to certain news headlines... "if it sounds too ridiculous to be true, etc."!

Basically, the father was jailed for contempt of court - going against a restraining order. He didn't just call his child "daughter" with a big burly policeman grabbing his collar informing him we was 'nicked'...

It's a complex issue and not helped by some tabloids' sensational reporting, deliberately skewed...

Molkygo thanks, I did know that, everything is chemical.

Dihydrogen monoxide is the chemical name for water

What I was getting at is that people often use the word "chemical" to show it as negative... And I wondered if that is why you chose that word

*Dickens I agree about headlines, I just sometimes get sucked in when individual people say things. Lesson learnt

VioletSky

Molkygo thanks, I did know that, everything is chemical.

Dihydrogen monoxide is the chemical name for water

What I was getting at is that people often use the word "chemical" to show it as negative... And I wondered if that is why you chose that word

And I wonder why you wondered why I chose that word. Hormones are chemicals, puberty blockers are hormones ergo . . .

I notice you are putting your own interpretation on what I said. I’m sure you criticised people on GN for doing that about your posts.

Mollygo, I asked, I didn't assume, then I explained but I'm sorry that upset you

Going to take a break but I just wanted to say that while there are many differences between what different demographics go through that need to be respected and acknowledged and that is so so important.

When it comes to what discrimination is and what that looks like, I feel that rather than splitting it up into separate smaller fights, it's important that we all stand together against discrimination and for equality. We are louder and stronger together.

Many of us on here stand for equality and are against discrimination, however it is watering down/phasing out of women that is our gripe, plain and simple.

NanKate

Many of us on here stand for equality and are against discrimination, however it is watering down/phasing out of women that is our gripe, plain and simple.

NanKate that looks like discrimination against women (AHF) to me. . .
Actually, it doesn’t just look like it, it is! Discrimination against women by men in whatever guise and the vociferous support if that discrimination by some women themselves.

This is all fascinating stuff and I'm trying to educate myself. But a lot of it is going over my head. What has Methylsulfonylmethane got to do with any of this?

My 15:45 post was supposted to be attached to Doodledog's 13:16 post!

I don't believe anyone has mentioned Methylsulfonylmethane AcornFairy. Is it possible someone has used the acronym MSM which stands for mainstream media?