When kids feel like their body doesn’t match who they really are inside, doctors have a special step-by-step plan to help them.
Usually this is a personal and private matter that involves a doctor, so people aren’t used to talking about it, or hearing about it. But it’s been in the news a lot (In case you wonder why) and we should talk about it.
The National Library of Medicine took a look at all the data about gender-affirming care and wrote up a report. You can click on the link to read the actual study, but the following text summarizes their work:
The study says doctors don’t start with surgery right away. Instead, they follow these steps in order:
- First, they try things that can be completely changed back, like:
- Using different clothes, haircuts, or names
- Taking medicine that can pause puberty for a while
- Next, if needed, they might try things that can be partly changed back, like:
- Taking hormones that change how the body looks and feels
- Only after these other steps, and when doctors think it’s right, might they talk about surgery, which can’t be changed back.
This is important because doctors want to make sure they’re doing what’s best for each kid, taking small steps before big ones. Surgery is almost never the first thing they try.
Let’s talk about Gender-Affirming surgeries.
When people think of gender-affirming surgeries, their first thought it usually of a trans woman removing her male-aligned organ. The reason people think of and talk about this one so much is because it’s shocking to them. But it’s not the most common procedure.
What is the most common gender-affirming surgical procedure?
Breast reduction is the most common gender-affirming surgical procedure for minors in the USA. Out of 151 breast reduction surgeries performed on people under age 18 in 2019, 146 of the patients were boys, who didn’t want to have girlish breasts.
A whopping 97% of gender-affirming surgeries performed on minors in the USA are for patients that are not trans. In fact, they’re for straight males who are unhappy with their large breasts.
Can you think of why a rich and powerful man who is obsessed with populating his own planet might want to create a world where it’s difficult for other boys to have their man boobs removed?
Why do politicians pretend to be so afraid of such inconsequential personal nonsense?
How can they expect to effectively run a country if they’re such scaredy cats?
Why would a politician want me afraid of my neighbors?
Wouldn’t good leadership use research to solve societal problems?