Hormonal treatment will be available for children with gender dysphoria at Groningen’s University Hospital (UMCG) from April. Despite this increasing accessibility of care, long waiting lists are expected.
Gender dysphoria is a medical term that describes distress felt from having a biological sex that does not match one’s gender identity. One method of care involves hormonal treatments. The UMCG will offer puberty blockers and cross-sex hormonal treatments to youngsters, the medical centre said in a press release.
Though the UMCG has had a specialised team for 45 years who treat gender dysphoria, this is the first time their treatment will extend to those under 18 years old. Before this, only the university medical centres (UMCs) in Amsterdam and Nijmegen offered gender dysphoria care for minors.
Cross-sex hormonal therapy is a hormonal treatment that changes a person’s physical characteristics to match their gender identity.
The treatment with puberty blockers prevents the body from developing more male or female physical traits during puberty. This can greatly reduce psychological distress in those with gender dysphoria and extend their time to decide if and what type of treatment they desire, before significant physical changes from puberty are experienced.
Though the treatment can have side effects, it is mostly reversible, and when stopped, the body will continue to go through puberty. Around half of children who want this treatment, decide to transition to a different sex later on, according to the UMCG.
To start hormonal treatment at the UMCG, a referral is required from Jonx, a youth mental healthcare institution which UMCG collaborates with, or a similar institution. The team at UMCG will then proceed with the medical treatment.
Despite celebrating the extended access to care, the UMCG expects long waiting lists, which is already the case in the UMCs in Nijmegen and Amsterdam. The waiting time for intakes currently ranges around 2 to 3 years at the three centres. The UMCG expects to be able to treat about 50 children per year.
