Doctors Debate Whether Trans Teens Need Therapy Before Hormones
The New York Times
Clinicians are divided over new guidelines that say teens should undergo mental health screenings before receiving hormones or gender surgeries.
An upsurge in teenagers requesting hormones or surgeries to better align their bodies with their gender identities has ignited a debate among doctors over when to provide these treatments.
An international group of experts focused on transgender health last month released a draft of new guidelines, the gold standard of the field that informs what insurers will reimburse for care.
Many doctors and activists praised the 350-page document, which was updated for the first time in nearly a decade, for including transgender people in its drafting and for removing language requiring adults to have psychological assessments before getting access to hormone therapy.
