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Here's a new blog post on New Zealand's trans healthcare guidelines, focusing on the relevance for trans children and adolescents. In this short thread I'll summarise the blog and these guidelines in ten short points growinguptransgender.com/2019/07/22/new…
1. New Zealand endorses gender affirmative healthcare for trans children and adolescents.
2. New Zealand acknowledges that some children are trans at a young age, that some adolescents come to understand their gender identity at or after puberty, and that all are valid and in need of affirmation and support.
3. New Zealand uses modern, trans positive language and does not problematise trans children, being clear that trans children who are supported should be able to thrive and should be able to be as happy as any other child.
4. New Zealand supports social transition for trans children, emphasising the important benefits and protective aspects for their well-being.
5. New Zealand recognises the importance of supportive families, and prioritises educating parents/carers to accept and affirm their trans children, providing clear and reassuring guidance to listen to their child.
6. New Zealand is clear that gender affirmative healthcare is medically necessary, considering a range of aspects of health including support in dealing with minority stress.
7. New Zealand supports access puberty blockers, which it emphasises are reversible. It emphasises that withholding timely access to blockers causes harm, and emphasises that not using blockers can lead to irreversible unwanted physical changes.
8. New Zealand supports individualised access to hormone therapy, acknowledging the compelling reasons why access prior to age 16 is appropriate for some individuals. It provides clear information on timeframes for changes that are reversible, partially reversible, not reversible
9. New Zealand acknowledges the harm caused by the pathologisation of gender diversity, and commits to depathologisation within the health service. Gender diversity is not a mental health condition, & mental health support is not mandatory for accessing affirmative care.
10. New Zealand acknowledges the negative health impacts of discrimination, and acknowledges the importance of health service providers advocating for trans people, advocating for social and public policy change to reduce the negative effects of minority stress.
The New Zealand guidance mirrors affirmative guidelines for trans children and adolescents produced in 2015 in USA and 2018 in Australia. It mirrors practice in Canada, Spain, Germany. The UK is far behind, stuck in outdated harmful practice. UK GIDS is failing trans children.
As a UK parent of a trans child, I shouldn't have to read New Zealand healthcare guidance. Or US, or Australian. I should be able to access proven evidence based affirmative healthcare here in the UK. NHS GIDS should be following established global best practices. They are not.
Instead, tonight we get a Newsnight special, a BBC article, and a Health Research Authority investigation all aiming to drag UK trans children's healthcare BACKWARDS. UK GIDS failings are causing this. UK GIDS transphobia, cisnormativity and incompetence. bbc.co.uk/news/health-49…
