Gender-affirming health care | Transgender, non-binary and gender diverse children
This blog post is a part of the resource – Supporting Transgender, Non-binary and Gender diverse Children & Young People, created by Felicity St John and Felicity’s collaborator and fellow Master of Sexology student Lindsay SmithFelicity, during a placement with Sex Ed Rescue in 2024.
Felicity St John has a Master of Sexology (Professional) with Distinction and a Bachelor of Human Services – Child and Family Studies. She currently works for an NGO as a supervisor of four practitioners, coaching and case managing families facing complex challenges. Felicity also offers professional development and consultancy. Her professional interest areas are sex education, puberty, LGBTQI+ people, child development, transgender/non-binary/gender-diverse people, relationship coaching, family coaching, and parenting psychoeducation. Felicity has a passion for supporting people to step into their capacity. When she’s not working Felicity loves to laugh, play, be with loves ones, rock climb, SUP board, explore nature, read, write, hike, cycle, swim, and laze about like a cat. You can contact Felicity via email.
Puberty may be the first time a transgender/non-binary/gender-diverse (TGD) person and their family encounter gender-affirming health care. Prior to puberty, the only gender-affirming health care professionals some families may require are psychologists.
Gender-affirming health care is evidence-based and supported by all the major medical associations in the United States and Australia. This includes the American Medical Association (AMA), The American Psychiatric Association (APA), The American Academy of Pediatricians, the American Psychological Association, the Endocrine Society, and the Pediatric Endocrine Society.
The International Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People (SOC 8) guides health practitioners in evidence-based gender-affirming health care for trans people, including children and adolescents. You can view these for yourself in the resources below. When looking for health care providers or receiving health care, the SOC 8 can help you understand what is appropriate. Countries may also have their own national guidelines, which, if evidence-based, should align with the SOC 8.
References
- Cass Review – Pre-release resource for media, commentators and advocates https://transjustice.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Cass-Review-Pre-Release-Fact-Sheet-090424-1.pdf
- Medical Association Statements in Support of Health Care for Transgender People and Youth by GLAAD 2024. https://glaad.org/medical-association-statements-supporting-trans-youth-healthcare-and-against-discriminatory/
- Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8 by Eli Coleman et al., 2022. https://www.wpath.org/soc8
- The Impact of 2024 Anti-Transgender Legislation on Youth by Redfield et al., 2024. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024-Anti-Trans-Legislation-Apr-2024.pdf
Find practical tools to educate kids about sex education in the Sex Ed Shop