Florida Dept. of Health no longer supports treatment of gender dysphoria for minors

I'm sure there are dozens of studies looking at what happens when kids go on or off of these drugs. (from the crew that was so scared of Ivermectin)

Sarcasm alert.

 

We have plenty of detailed RCTs at this point. Had plenty of them long ago. It just became a political thing.

Yeah, we hand out plenty of medication based on feelings. See psychiatric medications, for example. Pain meds for another. We also hand out plenty of dangerous medications without any falsifiable diagnoses.

 

They don’t just give puberty blockers they also give testosterone and estrogen. They can cause permanent effects.

 

Puberty blockers aren't prescribed to any teen with feelings. There is a set of criteria that needs to be met before they are prescribed. This usually includes years of the child feeling they are the wrong gender, years of therapy with a licensed therapist, and agreement among all doctors, parents, and the child that blockers are the way to go. To say these drugs are given out willy-nilly based on feelings just isn't accurate.

 

I didn't just say they were given out "willy-nilly" nor did I suggest that. But they aren't given based on objective measurements either.

 

You said the prescriptions are based on teen feelings, which change like the breeze. If that's not a "willy-nilly" type statement, then please explain yourself.

And yes, gender dysmorphia isn't always something easily charted. What things that concern a person's mental well being are? But when medical professionals, parents, and the kid all agrees on the best course of treatment, why should anyone object?

 

The decision to give hormone blockers or is based on feeling like I said that may change rapidly. That doesn't speak to the practitioner just handing it out like candy like some Psychiatrists do (extremely variable there).

There are debates about what medications should be given all the time to people.
The first rule is do no harm.

Hell, there have been debates her for 2 years about what should be given for COVID, when medical professionals disagree. Add in a scenario where a parent doesn't agree with what a former spouse wants to do. Who decides then?

 

So we need the government to intervene to handle an issue that routinely is dealt with in other medical contexts? Come on.

If that's your objection, I guess you oppose prescribing children medication for depression, eh?

 

The dx of depression in kids is far easier to dx than "gender dysmorphia". I'm not opposed to treating kids with meds for depression/anxiety but yes there should be some caution noted in prescribing anti-depressants in teens, there are numerous boxed warnings regarding this if you weren't aware.

There is also the issue with a developing brain in a teen where that of an adult is already developed, there are stark physiological differences. Hence my opposition for the use of THC in teens.

 

It's gender dysphoria.

 

It's recommended to give gender blockers to only kids who have lived as a trans kid for years. It's possible these kid's feelings could change rapidly. At which point, stop giving them blockers! But for a child who has lived as the opposite gender from say age 7 to age 11, really think their mind is suddenly going to change like the breeze, as you said?

As for COVID medications, there were hardly disagreements. When hydrocholorquine showed early promise, who objected to trying it? Same with ivermectin? Unfortunately, multiple studies showed neither drug had any effect on COVID. And now, the only disagreements are from people who still believe they work, despite all evidence to the contrary. Now, you won't find a single medical agency recommending these drugs for COVID, because again, they don't work.

With puberty blockers, we have evidence that they do have a positive effect, with studies that show a significant decline in suicide. We also know the effects of the blockers are reversible, and major mental health organizations are in favor of using these drugs in specific instances when the kid meets certain criteria. It's possible that say 10 years from now, the data show something completely different. But using all the data we have today, what good reason is there for the state to step in and stop these type of treatments for all?

 

First do no harm, this isn't refusing to allow a life saving heart surgery, or chemo.
The data set is pretty damn limited man.

That's part of the rub a 7 year hardly has any mental faculties to even think about gender.
Answer me this your 10 year old says they want to be the opposite sex. You are divorced and the Mom disagrees with your choice of treatment.
Who wins?
The person who wants to tamper with hormones?

As to the COVID treatments, my point is when they were first being suggested there were categorically dismissed, there was some data suggestive of benefit, it's only more recently that studies have shown no benefit(more specifically for Ivermectin). Some here literally called using them malpractice and that people should lose their medical license.

 

I would imagine the mental health professionals who deal with trans youth both have taken and understand the Hippocratic Oath. They, along with top mental health associations currently recommend the usage of puberty blockers in specific cases. In their professional opinions, they aren't doing any harm. The current studies that show a reduction in suicide shows they are actually helping.

Kids understand gender starting around 3 years old. Early signs of gender dysphoria can appear in kids this young, but diagnosis usually doesn't occur until closer to age 6 or 7 at the youngest. Those who study this for a living, with advanced degrees and years of medical practice would disagree with you that a 7-year old has the mental faculties to think about gender.

As for the divorced situation, I think all custodial parents need to agree, along with all treating medical professionals, and the kid. If one parent disagrees, then no treatment. But I would also suggest that parent undergo counseling and see the results of the studies that show kids that show years of dysmorphia and go on blockers see a reduction in suicide by 40%. As a parent, I know it would be difficult to understand my decision to block treatment might cause a significant increase in the chances my kid commits suicide.

 

Please link the study that shows a 40% reduction in suicide. (Not saying it doesn't exist but I looked and couldn't find it) for my own learning.

 

Post #21 in this thread by @gator_lawyer has several links, including this one.

 

A judge appointed by Trump in Alabama struck down their law criminalizing gender-affirming care for violating the U.S. Constitution. Maybe that'll push some of you to reconsider the stances you took in this thread.
Judge blocks Alabama restrictions on certain gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth - CNNPolitics
DocumentCloud

 

Although there may be very rare exceptions, as general rule hormones that can cause permanent effects are not prescribed for teens under the age of 16 and even then normally only to patients who have received therapy for several years. A 14-year old is not going to walk out with a prescription for estrogen or testosterone after a single visit or even a few visits to a doctor.

 

This is the order

https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2022/05/01713862939.pdf

The judge makes a strong argument, at least based on his factual findings.

 

The human brain is not fully developed until the age of 25.

 

And yet individuals charged with crimes are assumed to be criminally responsible as adults at the age of 18 and in the case of especially heinous crimes at 16 or even younger.