Puberty blockers can only be started once puberty has commenced. The age at which this occurs varies considerably between individuals. To avoid unwanted physical changes, puberty blockers should ideally begin in early to mid-puberty.
Puberty suppressing hormones are not available to children and young people for the treatment of gender dysphoria or gender incongruence. This is because there is not enough evidence on their clinical safety and effectiveness.
In most places in the United States, you will need permission from your parent or guardian to do a hormonal or surgical transition before you are 18. You may also need to talk with a mental health professional and get a letter of support before starting treatment.
Transgender and non-binary people typically do not have gender-affirming surgeries before the age of 18. In some rare exceptions, teenagers under the age of 18 have received gender-affirming surgeries in order to reduce the impacts of significant gender dysphoria, including anxiety, depression, and suicidality.
You may worry that your child's exploration of different gender preferences and behaviours is not "normal". However, this is not the case. A young child's exploration of different gender identities is quite common. However, for some children this may continue into later childhood and adolescence.
Top surgery is surgery that removes or augments breast tissue and reshapes the nipples and chest to create a more masculine or feminine appearance for transgender and nonbinary people. Types of top surgery include: Chest Masculinization.
Puberty blockers are generally well-tolerated. But as with any medical intervention, they can also cause unwanted effects. This includes reductions in bone density and fertility, and changes in adult height.
Hormone therapies involving oestrogen and testosterone are only prescribed in Australia once a young person has been deemed capable of giving informed consent, usually around the age of 16. For puberty blockers, parents can consent at a younger age.
Puberty blockers are not recommended for children who have not started puberty. In most cases, youth aren't old enough to get medical treatment without a parent, guardian or other caregiver's permission. This is called medical consent.
If a patient is over 18, a practice can submit a gender reassignment request and the patient will usually be given a new NHS Number, and would be registered as a new patient at your practice. All previous medical information relating to the patient would then need to be transferred into a newly created medical record.
So the testicles make little or no testosterone. This slows down growth of muscles and genitals. Testosterone can often be used to treat hypogonadism and the treatment usually starts between 12 to 14 years of age and continues for life.
Puberty blockers are intended to allow patients more time to solidify their gender identity and give them a smoother transition into their desired gender identity as an adult. If a child later decides not to transition, the medication can be stopped and puberty will proceed.
Gender identity typically develops in stages: Around age two: Children become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls. Before their third birthday: Most children can easily label themselves as either a boy or a girl. By age four: Most children have a stable sense of their gender identity.
At 16 years old, individuals can consent to their own medical treatment, including gender-affirming care, without parental approval. Under 16 years old, minors can still consent if they are deemed competent under the Gillick competence standard.
have a history of gender dysphoria (for 6 months or more) have the ability to make a fully informed decision. be over the age of 16 years for top surgery, or 18 years for bottom surgery (some surgeons will provide surgery to younger people in specific situations)
Puberty blockers are a type of medication called gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues. They are licensed only for use in young children (for precocious puberty) or older adults (for certain cancers). They are not licensed for use in adolescents and they are not licensed for gender incongruence or dysphoria.
More recent studies and randomised control trials have shown that the use of testosterone in CDGP does not affect the final adult height. Most clinicians, who consider treatment, wait until a chronological age of 14 years and a bone age of 12 years.
Conclusions and Relevance The findings suggest that youth accessing puberty blockers and hormones as part of gender-affirming care tend to be satisfied with and not regretful of that care several years later.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are widespread in the environment also likely play a role. For example, phthalates – a class of chemicals that are common in many cosmetic and personal care products – are known to interfere with hormones. Some air pollutants are also known to disrupt the endocrine system.
If the pituitary gland doesn't make enough hormones, normal growth slows down or stops. Kids and teens with GH deficiency grow less than 2 inches (5 centimeters) a year. GH deficiency happens if the pituitary gland or hypothalamus is damaged or doesn't work as it should.
The "45 55 breast rule" refers to a widely studied aesthetic ideal where the breast volume is split with 45% in the upper pole (above the nipple) and 55% in the lower pole (below the nipple), creating a naturally sloped, teardrop shape rather than a round, full look. This ratio, established by plastic surgeon research, is consistently rated as most attractive by men, women, and surgeons across different demographics, supporting its use as a benchmark in breast augmentation for natural-looking results.
Procedure Snapshot
Medicare/Health fund rebate: Mastectomy in FTM top surgery is covered by a Medicare item number which means with appropriate health fund cover, some rebates may be claimable from Medicare and the Health Fund, therefore reducing out of pocket costs.
Puberty blocker drugs given to young people with gender dysmorphia significantly risk lowering their IQs, suggests Dr Sallie Baxendale (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology), who calls for more research into the impact of the drugs on children's brain functions.