A doctor helps children change their gender

if you read the article, these kids have been getting help...
the situation warrants "an intervention".
before any type of meds are given, there is months of counseling w/the pt, caregivers and other psychiatrists.
i don't think you are understanding the emergent nature of these situations.
and no one is going to get any type of procedure done, w/o an inexhaustible background check.

and i didn't say anything 'not nice'.
however, when you responded to a poster as a "voice of reason", that wasn't very cool either.

leslie

I understand your logic earle58, but I completely disagree with you. JlsRN gave valid alternative methods by which a parent could show support for their child. By no means do I believe these children should be left out hanging on a limb all on their own, but I do NOT believe making drastic, irreversible changes in a child is the correct way of solving the matter.

Besides, how long do you think this will be a "last resort" intervention for only the "most extreme" cases? Ideas as preposterous as this should not even be entertained. When we entertain ideas such as these someone who "wants to make a name for themselves as a pioneer" follows through with it, and after some time thes practices are bound to become norms. Our society is so out of hand today because we make rash decisions such as this without giving thought to the repercusions that are certain to follow.

Is it not plausible to think some of these children may change their minds as adults? And who is going to help them then? These will be the cutters with suicidal ideations of tomorrow.

Just some food for thought...

where ever did you get the idea these are rash decisions?

i googled "help for transgendered children" and got 1.9 million hits.
very telling.

original link didn't work.
let's try this:

http://www.transkidspurplerainbow.co...0questions.pdf

leslie

Please do not misconstrue my words. I strongly believe in providing help for transgendered children. The "rash decision" I was referring to was making irreversible changes in a child for the reasons I have previously stated.

I know not all 1.9 million hits of your search were on the topic of making such changes in children because I googled it myself.

you know, i think it would benefit everyone here, to read about the plights of transgendered kids, before deeming it unethical or abusive.

just google 'help for transgender children'...
soooo much information out there.

and w/that, i have nothing more to add (at this time).

educate yourselves.
this is NOT a transient stage that goes away.
these kids have tried all sorts of therapies, including aversion therapy. and still, their feelings get stronger as they get older.

there are all sorts of transgenders out in mainstream society.
this is their identity.
let's give these kids a chance at growing up in healthy, loving relationships.

you just cannot appreciate the depth of their anguish, unless you choose to become informed.
please, just take some time and read about these kids.
and then, you can make an educated decision.

leslie

I totally agree. My stepdaughter used to cut herself and it had nothing to do with gender identity. And if this is to become accepted, it will not remain for only "last resort", it will become our future and its scarey. There would be alot of children grow up and realize, but it would be too late. I think these children should be allowed to identify and express themselves but not to that degree. This world is getting scarey. Also, I can google "life sucks" and get approximately the same return of results too. No offense, but you can find anything on both sides of everything on the internet, but you have to weed out what is trustworthy

Everything on the internet isn't true, reputable and/or ethical. Just because you can find someone to perform this surgery, does not mean you should have it done as a CHILD. When one becomes an ADULT and presumably can make rational decisions and has some degree of maturity, then that is clearly their decision. However, to do this to a CHILD is unthinkable except in the case of ambiguous genitalia. This is too new a procedure to have any long-term research studies so how do we know the consequences. Adolescence and puberty are normal parts of growing up. Much angst occurs even to those who are not transgendered. Here is one source found in Up To Date (used by practitioners, not info usually provided to pts):

"Juvenile gender dysphoria — Adult transsexuals often recall that their gender dysphoria started early in life, well before puberty. Children with gender identity problems increasingly come to the attention of the psychomedical care system. A reliable estimation indicates that only about 20 percent will become transsexuals in adolescence [23] . Homosexuality will more often be the outcome"

http://www.uptodate.com/online/conte...arch_result#29

My concern (and seemingly a legitimate concern) is that childhood and adolesnce is a time of rapid growth and development and not one where this decision should be made.

puberty is difficult enough it being postponed, drugs potent enough to cause this are going to cause some other problems
many children who hate their bodies are having problems with the parent of the same sex, they don't want to grow up to be their fathers/mothers
another factor is, i believe, that this is ripe for munchasens by proxy
i believe that postponing this to after the child is going to understand that this is something they will have to live with for the rest of their lives