Gender-affirming care or Transgender care has been in the headlines because of some worries for the safety of minors who undergo such treatment, not just for children but for everyone. Authorities may say that the procedure is abuse, a criminal act, but in this article, Idaho doctors explain the myths and misconceptions of gender-affirming care.
Recently, Idaho's House of Representatives has passed a bill that criminalizes gender-affirming healthcare for minors, which some of the supporters that oppoeses warns that it could increase suicide rates among teens.
Doctors Defend Gender-Affirming Care and Push its Medical Significance
Doctors who support gender-affirming care are dismayed by such a ban because the only goal of their treatment is to give the well-being to the mental and physical health of the people, specifically the minors who could be cured immediately.
House Bill 71, which recently gained an audience in Idaho's House of Representatives, would prevent parents from providing evidence-based, life-saving healthcare to their children, especially transgender youth. According to Idaho Doctors in the published article in Idaho Statesman, the bill could do more harm than good by restricting gender-affirming care because there is no other way to treat a transgender child medically or socially. The treatment is a unique, individualized process that begins with understanding the child, the caregivers, and their aspirations for the future.
The doctors said gender-affirming care focuses on treating patients' well-being and recognizing the risks of feeling uncomfortable in their bodies. The systematic process is considered to take time, often months to years, and decisions are made carefully and revisited frequently.
Some families may choose not to undergo medical treatment, while others may depend on it for their child's survival. When used, medical treatment typically starts with puberty blockers, which are well-studied. By prohibiting such care, House Bill 71 could put the lives of transgender youth at risk and take away their right to quality healthcare.
According to an article in NBC News, research says that some children and teenagers often resort to hurting themselves to change their anatomy. At the same time, transgender youth and adults are susceptible to stress, depression, and suicidal behavior when forced to live as the sex they were assigned at birth.
Doctors say that accurately diagnosed kids whose transgender identity persists into puberty typically don't outgrow it, and guidelines indicate that treatment should not start before puberty begins. Studies have shown that treatment can improve kids' well-being, reducing depression and suicidal behavior. Ethical considerations make it impossible to conduct the most robust type of study, a trial in which some distressed kids would receive treatment and others would not. However, longer-term studies on treatment outcomes are in progress.
Also Read: Europe Implements Stricter Regulations on Gender-Affirming Care, Aims to Increase Safety
The Passing of Bill Banning Gender-Affirming Care
A bill has been passed on banning transgender care for minors and has caused outrage among the supporters of the treatment. According to AP News, on the other hand, the bill's supporters argue that gender-affirming care for minors could cause permanent harm and that the legislation is necessary to "protect children."
None the less, medical professionals and the majority of professional associations, such as the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Psychiatric Association, support gender-affirming care for children and oppose legislative initiatives that would restrict this care.
The bill is one of several that target Idaho's LGBTQ+ population at the beginning of the year; it is also clear that gender-affirming procedures are not currently done on children in Idaho.
Related Article: Texas' Gender-Affirming Care Considered Child Abuse For Some, Survey Says
