Question

1. Briefly summarize the arguments made against medical treatments to address gender dysphoria in young children and teens.

Answer 1

Gender dysphoria is a condition where a person’s assigned gender at birth and the gender with which they identify themselves are incongruent. The person suffering from this feels very uncomfortable and depressed.

The young children and teens are very sensitive age-group and providing treatment to them at that stage is not justified due to ethical concerns. Providing gender reassignment is not an easy task. It involves not only hormonal treatment and surgery but also social stigma and discrimination. The teenager can't distinguish between their feelings and the requirements. sometimes after the treatment or surgery they are not satisfied and regret for the reversal of the previous gender which is not possible. In many cases the surgery is not hundred percent successful and thereby leading to infertility which can't be again reversed.

In many case improper or Inadequate social adaptation, psychiatric disorders, poor psychological and psychiatric evaluation, and dissatisfaction with aesthetic or functional outcome of GAS (Gender affirmative surgery)can lead to regret. Many other factors can also be associated with a risk of regret like: personality disorders, social instability, dissatisfaction with surgical results, and poor support from friend family and society.

Besides, all these the hormonal medication and the surgical treatments have various physical as well as Pyschological effects on the body and mind of the child. so, young age children and teenage is not considered an appropriate age to provide the treatment. It can lead to more harm rather than the benefits to the physical mental and social health of the child. so, it is not advisable to provide the treatment for gender dysphoria in the young age.