TY - JOUR
T1 - Ensuring Care for Transgender Adolescents Who Need It
T2 - Response to ‘Reconsidering Informed Consent for Trans-Identified Children, Adolescents and Young Adults’
AU - de Vries, Annelou L. C.
N1 - Funding Information: The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Adolescent transgender care is increasingly surrounded by controversies and criticism. One of these concerns expressed in a review article by Levine et al. entitled ‘Reconsidering Informed Consent for Trans-Identified Children, Adolescents and Young Adults’ is the limited evidence base, especially of the Dutch studies which provided the first and mostly cited basis for medical intervention at a young age. This Response is written by the first author of two of those studies that showed effectiveness of the approach that included puberty blockers. The author rebuts several of the concerns that Levine et al.have regarding these Dutch studies, among which are the limited statistical improvements of psychological measures, the use of the Utrecht Gender Dysphoria and the selection of participants. The author further refers to several shorter term longitudinal follow up studies that have been published, which are not mentioned by Levine et al. They also show improvement or stable psychological functioning and relief of gender incongruence. Finally, a careful evaluation and informed consent provision has always been recommended in all editions of the WPATH’s Standards of Care and are also part of the 8th version as well as the Endocrine Society guidelines. The author agrees therefore with Levine et al. that clinicians in transgender care should follow these international guidelines and provide such an assessment in order to ensure that medical interventions are appropriately provided for those transgender adolescents who need them.
AB - Adolescent transgender care is increasingly surrounded by controversies and criticism. One of these concerns expressed in a review article by Levine et al. entitled ‘Reconsidering Informed Consent for Trans-Identified Children, Adolescents and Young Adults’ is the limited evidence base, especially of the Dutch studies which provided the first and mostly cited basis for medical intervention at a young age. This Response is written by the first author of two of those studies that showed effectiveness of the approach that included puberty blockers. The author rebuts several of the concerns that Levine et al.have regarding these Dutch studies, among which are the limited statistical improvements of psychological measures, the use of the Utrecht Gender Dysphoria and the selection of participants. The author further refers to several shorter term longitudinal follow up studies that have been published, which are not mentioned by Levine et al. They also show improvement or stable psychological functioning and relief of gender incongruence. Finally, a careful evaluation and informed consent provision has always been recommended in all editions of the WPATH’s Standards of Care and are also part of the 8th version as well as the Endocrine Society guidelines. The author agrees therefore with Levine et al. that clinicians in transgender care should follow these international guidelines and provide such an assessment in order to ensure that medical interventions are appropriately provided for those transgender adolescents who need them.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132333210&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2084479
DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2084479
M3 - Article
C2 - 35723081
SN - 0092-623X
VL - 49
SP - 108
EP - 114
JO - Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy
JF - Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy
IS - 1
ER -