East Bay Pediatrics affirms and supports gender diverse patients and their families. We keep our records up to date with appropriate pronouns and chosen names. Our practice can help with appropriate referrals and with specific paperwork when needed. We have experiences with both patients and parents in all stages of gender dysphoria, the medical term for when someone’s gender doesn’t match with the gender assigned at birth. Here is more information about Gender-Affirming Medicine.
About Gender-Affirming Medicine
Gender-affirming medicine refers to medicine that acknowledges a diverse range of genders in youth. For most children, gender in youth matches the gender assigned at birth based on chromosomes or anatomy. Gender identity refers to the innate sense of maleness, femaleness, or other genders with which a person identifies. When a child’s gender doesn’t match with the gender assigned at birth, they are often refered to as transgender or gender diverse (TGD) children. It is important for medical providers and families to support TGD children, because there are much higher rates of suicide and mental health disorders among such children who are not supported.
What Gender-Affirming Medicine Is Not
Gender-affirming medicine does not necessarily mean that children are immediately given hormones or surgeries to alter their bodies. Many children do not prioritize gender expression via medical or surgical means, and that is not necessarily the best treatment for all TGD children or adolescents. Gender-affirming hormones and surgeries are carried out by teams of specialists at large hospital centers.
Diagnosis
Historically, medical providers would diagnose TGD youth as “transgender.” Today, it is more common to diagnose “gender dysphoria,” which is the distress that any person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity. This makes clear that gender itself is not the problem, it is the distress that arises from societal and personal concern about this mismatch.
After your child tells you that they are questioning their gender identity, it is important to emphasize continued love and support. Studies have shown that children who live in supportive families have lower rates of mental health disorders. Next, you can call your pediatrician to ask for help with locating a therapist that has experience with gender care. A good gender therapist can be crucial to navigating what to do with patients that are questioning their gender.
Treatment
If it is recommended by your child’s gender therapist or pediatrician, you may pursue treatment with gender-affirming medication. These take two forms: puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones. Neither of these treatment options are available from East Bay Pediatrics, but our providers are familiar with treatments and can make referrals to the appropriate providers.
Puberty Blockers
Puberty blockers are hormonally active medications that halt the effects of puberty. They can be recommended for TGD adolescents that experience an increase in gender dysphoria after the onset of puberty. Blockers are never started until puberty has been shown to be starting. They can also be used for patients who are gender non-binary and who are distressed by the effects of the hormones of their biological sex. Puberty blockers can afford patients more time to explore their gender without going through the permanent changes of puberty. When puberty blockers are stopped, puberty progresses as normal.
Gender-affirming hormones
Gender-affirming hormones include cross-sex hormones such as estrogen (for those assigned male at birth) and testosterone (for those assigned female at birth). These hormones are monitored by specialists and typically result in physical features of the opposite sex. While many of these features are reversible, some are not. The risks and benefits of these hormones should be discussed with endocrine specialists.
About Gender-Affirming Medicine
Gender-affirming medicine refers to medicine that acknowledges a diverse range of genders in youth. For most children, gender in youth matches the gender assigned at birth based on chromosomes or anatomy. Gender identity refers to the innate sense of maleness, femaleness, or other genders with which a person identifies. When a child’s gender doesn’t match with the gender assigned at birth, they are often refered to as transgender or gender diverse (TGD) children. It is important for medical providers and families to support TGD children, because there are much higher rates of suicide and mental health disorders among such children who are not supported.
What Gender-Affirming Medicine Is Not
Gender-affirming medicine does not necessarily mean that children are immediately given hormones or surgeries to alter their bodies. Many children do not prioritize gender expression via medical or surgical means, and that is not necessarily the best treatment for all TGD children or adolescents. Gender-affirming hormones and surgeries are carried out by teams of specialists at large hospital centers.
Diagnosis
Historically, medical providers would diagnose TGD youth as “transgender.” Today, it is more common to diagnose “gender dysphoria,” which is the distress that any person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity. This makes clear that gender itself is not the problem, it is the distress that arises from societal and personal concern about this mismatch.
After your child tells you that they are questioning their gender identity, it is important to emphasize continued love and support. Studies have shown that children who live in supportive families have lower rates of mental health disorders. Next, you can call your pediatrician to ask for help with locating a therapist that has experience with gender care. A good gender therapist can be crucial to navigating what to do with patients that are questioning their gender.
Treatment
If it is recommended by your child’s gender therapist or pediatrician, you may pursue treatment with gender-affirming medication. These take two forms: puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones. Neither of these treatment options are available from East Bay Pediatrics, but our providers are familiar with treatments and can make referrals to the appropriate providers.
Puberty Blockers
Puberty blockers are hormonally active medications that halt the effects of puberty. They can be recommended for TGD adolescents that experience an increase in gender dysphoria after the onset of puberty. Blockers are never started until puberty has been shown to be starting. They can also be used for patients who are gender non-binary and who are distressed by the effects of the hormones of their biological sex. Puberty blockers can afford patients more time to explore their gender without going through the permanent changes of puberty. When puberty blockers are stopped, puberty progresses as normal.
Gender-affirming hormones
Gender-affirming hormones include cross-sex hormones such as estrogen (for those assigned male at birth) and testosterone (for those assigned female at birth). These hormones are monitored by specialists and typically result in physical features of the opposite sex. While many of these features are reversible, some are not. The risks and benefits of these hormones should be discussed with endocrine specialists.
