Why Does The Care Transgender Youth Deserve: Gender-Affirming Support Can Save Lives?,
Certain children may not be born with the gender they were assigned at birth. It's not a sudden, fleeting curiosity or an age-old transition. It represents something that they can never undo. If the truth is not shared by families, schools, or health providers, it can cause significant distress.
Understanding Gender Identity Beyond Birth Assignments.?
A baby is classified as male or female at birth based on its physical characteristics, including chromosomes, when not so clear. The label is deemed appropriate for most children.'... Yet for some, it feels entirely unacceptable.
From an early age, certain children are aware that they are not the gender they were assigned to be. Others may perceive themselves as not fitting in with the categories of "male" or even just, "female". Identity isn't a costume to wear or remove, as they view it as. It's a fact of life that often gets overlooked, even before they can be understood.
It is common for young children to engage in gender roles. One may choose to wear the princess crown on his male head or opt for a toy truck on her female body. That's normal exploration. Transgender and gender nonconforming are dissimilar. Why? It isn't about play. The core of a child's identity is concerned with it. Why?
How Common Is It, Really?
Much more common than people realize. Approximately 0.7% of adolescents report being transgender or gender nonconforming, as per research.' The number of approximately five students in every high school is too great to be dismissed, but it's also small enough to cause feelings of isolation or misunderstanding among them.
The statistics are sobering:
At around 8 years old, many transgender youths begin to recognize their identity as "different"..
They typically wait almost a decade before disclosing that truth.
Silence during those years often triggers depression, anxiety, and hopelessness....
The risks are immense: 56% of young people who identify as transgender report considering suicide, and almost one-third have attempted it.
These difficulties are not caused by my transgender status. It's important to remember that.? It's pained by rejection, bullying, and the constant reminder that they're not a good or bad person.
Why Gender-Affirming Care Is Critical.
The strong advocacy for gender-based healthcare is evident in the backing of major medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Psychiatric Association.
But what does that mean?
Gender-affirming care is not about requiring children to undergo hormone therapy or surgery. Its primary objective is to provide support by creating a safe and respectful environment that recognizes young people for their worth.'".
That can include:
Counseling and family support.
Age-appropriate medical interventions like puberty blockers or hormones.
Providing access to providers who cater to the needs of youth.
Changing a child's identity through outdated and harmful practices is not an acceptable part of conversion therapy. All leading health authorities concur that those measures are not effective and, to make matters worse, cause lasting harm.
Human Rights: Being Ourselves.
Our identity remains unchanged, and we should not alter it. Providing identities that support young people significantly improves their mental health. All other measures of well-being improve as a result of better mental health.'
Gender diversity isn't a pathology. That's part of the vast, beautiful world of human beings. Disregarding it poses a threat to both human dignity and the safety of lives.
A sense of respect and dignity should be given to every child, just as their father does. Transgender youth, in particular, are.
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