Why Healthcare Access Is Vital to TGNC Tweens & Teens

By prostooleh on Envato Elements.

Note: If you're a foster parent, check with your local child welfare agency on how you need to navigate medical and mental healthcare and how much your young person's birth parents must be involved.

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In addition to what's below, check with your health insurance company to see if they have a list providers they refer folx to. Be careful how you approach talking with them, though, if they don't cover trans-related healthcare.

Beware a doctor who talks to you about "rapid onset gender dysphoria." Such healthcare providers are unlikely to support your child in becoming the full, healthy, TGNC young person they are. Steer clear. You can also keep a lookout for certain terminology that's a give-away for queer- and trans-antagonism.

Other important healthcare-related resources:

Make sure your queer or trans child has an experienced, affirming therapist to help them through how those in their world will react when they're coming out. Even if your tween or teen is doing great now, a therapist "in their back pocket" can be a critical support person when things get tough. It's ideal to build a strong, trusting relationship in advance of a crisis.

If your child is struggling not only with their identity but with confiding in you and navigating this change in your relationship, some family therapy sessions may be helpful. Check with your child's therapist, or your own, to see if they offer sessions between parents and children. If they don't, ask them for a referral to a therapist who does.

Note that not everyone who's trans will need therapy, although therapy is often required for transition. But a trans-affirming (or trans!) therapist can be a huge help to TGNC people of all ages.

Also note that a therapist may be the best person to help your young person if they're engaging in self-harm or are talking about or considering suicide.

Support your child's desire or need for puberty blockers and/or cross-sex hormones. An endocrinologist is the professional you'll work with for anything in this realm.

You'll want to make sure your queer or trans tween or teen has an experienced, affirming endocrinologist and other physicians to help them figure out their path.

The endocrinologist will likely be working with the standards developed by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

You can see the topics covered by WPATH's most recent Standards of Card document, SOC8, online. You'll see that, among other topics, they have a chapter each focused on children and adolescents.
The full SOC8 document itself is available. It's not written for lay people, although that doesn't mean it's inherently inaccessible for everyone who's not a doctor.
WPATH is not without its legit detractors. But its standards remain the ones that most providers follow.

Information on puberty blockers:

Information on cross-sex hormones:

If your child is in significant distress that is not alleviated by hormones and therapy, explore whether other procedures might be needed to help them.

Note that pediatric doctors who treat TGNC young people will not perform surgery before someone is a teen — and very few of them will consider it before a young person is at least 18.

If your teenager is in enough psychological or emotional pain that considering surgery seems like a necessity, call around to doctors in your area and then, if needed, those further away. You may need to travel to access the care that your TGNC young person needs.

"My parents have open discussions with me about my hormones or top surgery. They don't act as if it's anything to be weird about and I greatly appreciate that."

Restrictions on the rights of TGNC young people to access healthcare

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