tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430111450575356526.post1034545965100666599..comments2024-03-22T22:09:09.407+00:00Comments on Imperfect Cognitions: Is Gender Dysphoria a Disorder?Kengo Miyazonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01643685718519136099noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430111450575356526.post-5596303252186706902021-03-23T08:10:51.095+00:002021-03-23T08:10:51.095+00:00Hey, Antonella. This is a very well balanced and i...Hey, Antonella. This is a very well balanced and interesting piece of writing that asks some very important questions. I worry that young people especially are being driven to decisions about their gender identity by activists and then inadvertent bad policies. You only have to look at places like California, New York, and New Jersey to see this unfolding. You are absolutely right though that more research is required, though I wonder how much activism is driving the agenda rather than critical thinking?Dr Dan Reardonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03102556032089228737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430111450575356526.post-56979148981750923102021-03-18T11:53:39.811+00:002021-03-18T11:53:39.811+00:00Puberty blockers allow the child to stop the natur...Puberty blockers allow the child to stop the natural growth of the natural sex to help the child experience the desired gender. However, I believe that such intervention may cause further confusion in the child especially at such delicate age like adolescence where the brain is fully developing and undergoes crucial changes (there are no human studies on the cognitive outcomes of pubertal agonist GnRH but this study can be interesting https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453016305595). I lived for one year with a transgender child and I had witnessed this phase of confusion and psychological distress, that sometimes goes beyond the need of tackling their dysphoria (mental health causation are a myriad). Obviously, this is not the case of every trans child but can be food for thoughts since there is a substantial lack of research on the importance of a personalized and holistic approach before giving chemicals like candies to children.<br />Hormone therapy is a completely different approach and risks: there are several physical and mental health benefits (of course!) BUT also risks such as tumors (much more longitudinal studies are needed) but also infertility (this can be an interesting paper to fully read on risks and benefits: https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1538544219301245?token=6A7206A72395D1D17F72B40E354FC2958A3BD144A4F362085CB9DA0C7EE7E8C929CA9B120B32292CBD5B135BF546ABE5) <br /> Unfortunately, fertility preservation is not considered much among trans teens for different reasons (costs, lack of information etc.)(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X16309582?casa_token=YwQCRkT-yQMAAAAA:d7SY_BS45VuZ4HtyQV_KLlOWyE6hCpopUqQbia1xCiwJXiddIeRbpvGOPGXTjLUMKzl6m9t23mQc). I believe that clinically, these issues are not really presented to transgender children with dysphoria who really prioritise their transition, but what if one day they change their mind and really want biological children? Only, 3% is willing to delay hormone treatments to preserve their fertility. However, a good percentage said that would have considered FP if it was mentioned before to them (https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/lgbt.2016.0153 & Persky, R. W., Gruschow, S. M., Sinaii, N., Carlson, C., Ginsberg, J. P., & Dowshen, N. L. (2020). Attitudes Toward Fertility Preservation Among Transgender Youth and Their Parents. Journal of Adolescent Health. & https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11673-012-9378-7 on the importance of counseling before hormone treatments for FP). <br />By “inhumane” I obviously refer to requirements of sterilization. These have been recently abolished by most countries in Europe, but in some countries (such as Finland, Ukraine and India) sterilization is still a requirement. The UK is ahead but see the case of Freddy McConnell (you can just type his name and his complex case will come out). I believe that transgender clinical care should be firstly more researched, the lack of studies leads to lack of personalised clinical approaches. Therefore, risks and benefits of such interventions should be considered more longitudinally, holistically and should really meet the needs of the individual person before permanently changing biological aspects and chemical balances. I have a scientific background and clinical views and, unfortunately, I never had the possibility to approach philosophical theories on this area, but I am open to expanding my knowledge. Antonellanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430111450575356526.post-53049100682535042072021-03-16T12:09:37.081+00:002021-03-16T12:09:37.081+00:00Also, this part of the text
" There is not a ...Also, this part of the text<br />" There is not a specific treatment for this condition, only a series of hormone therapies which consist of blocking the natural development of the natal sex organs to allow the child to experience the desired gender for at least two years. However, such intervention can lead to a loss of fertility and hence the inability to have biological offspring in the future, "<br />...seems to be about children, and puberty blockers for children.<br />But the link in "loss of fertility" goes to this paper https://www.sciencedirect.com/.../pii/S0003426615011324... , and that paper looks like it's about hormone therapy for adult transsexual people, which is different.<br />(In this paper, for instance, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33593872/ , Cameron Beattie writes that puberty blockers have been used for children with "precocious puberty" for a long time, and what we've seen there is that normal reproductive functioning returns. Maybe that's wrong, this is not my expert area, but Beattie specifically warns that people often mix up puberty blockers with cross sex hormone therapy, e.g., what adult transsexual people get. And it looks to me that this is what the author did above.)<br />If I'm misunderstanding something here, I'd be happy to have it cleared up.Jeppssonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05016901164247140438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430111450575356526.post-59260157656345860472021-03-16T12:09:15.039+00:002021-03-16T12:09:15.039+00:00I don't get this: "This suggests that thi...I don't get this: "This suggests that this whole process of gender reassignment is not seen as a relief for the patient rather as a relief for policy makers."<br />Requiring that people go through the whole process of gender reassignment treatments in order to change their legal gender, yeah, that's bad, and mostly about policy makers being uncomfortable with people not fitting neatly into proper gender/sex categories. Trans people are different, not everyone wants to do this, and being pressured into treatments you don't want is terrible.<br />But I know people who had serious body dysphoria before their gender reassignment treatment and who did experience enormous relief once this was completed. I'm pretty sure there's also ample research on this. Is the author somehow denying that this is a thing, or did I misunderstand something?Jeppssonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05016901164247140438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430111450575356526.post-14064444980193131602021-03-16T11:25:04.916+00:002021-03-16T11:25:04.916+00:00Dear Dave,
Thank you for your comment. I must cla...Dear Dave, <br />Thank you for your comment. I must clarify; the UK and Europe in general are very ahead regarding transgender rights and human rights. However, I urge you to read about the Freddy McConnells' very complex case and how things are not as clear as people think even in a country so ahead as the UK. <br />In many other countries this requirement is still compulsory (for more info: https://wiadlek.pl/wp-content/uploads/archive/2020/WLek202012233.pdf).<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02642365055021834770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4430111450575356526.post-2558582508253339032021-03-16T09:39:56.130+00:002021-03-16T09:39:56.130+00:00I think this statement is incorrect: "Finally...I think this statement is incorrect: "Finally, to complete the transition process, the patient must undertake sex reassignment surgery which is also necessary by law to be finally recognised with the desired gender." Please could you check it.Dave Curtishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05908755974093322769noreply@blogger.com