By Saturn Ludewig
In case anyone does not know what the terms referring to one’s gender mean, transgender is defined, by a Google search, as “denoting or relating to a person whose gender identity does not correspond with the sex registered for them at birth,” a transgender man is someone who was born as a female and labeled as a woman but is transitioning to become a man, while a transgender woman is someone who was born as a male and labeled as a man but is transitioning to become a woman. Non-binary has a few different meanings, but when referring to one’s gender identity is defined as “denoting, having, or relating to a gender identity that does not conform to traditional binary beliefs about gender, which indicates that all individuals are exclusively either male or female,” according to Google. Cisgender is defined as “denoting or relating to a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex registered for him/her at birth; not transgender,” according to Google.
Many people may know what gender-affirming care is, but there are many who do not. To put it simply, in case someone does not know, gender-affirming care is a medical and psychosocial health care designed to affirm one’s gender identity. This includes hormone therapy (testosterone injections/pills/patches, estrogen injections/pills/patches, puberty blockers, hormone blockers), speech therapy (typically for transgender women or trans feminine to make one’s voice more high pitched and feminine), mental health services, facial reconstruction (to make one’s facial features more masculine or feminine depending on one’s gender identity), “top” surgery (breast enlargement for trans women/trans feminine, removal of breast tissue for trans men/trans masculine), and “bottom” surgery (vaginoplasty for trans women, phalloplasty or metoidioplasty for trans men).
Now, to the question of; Can gender-affirming care save lives? The answer is very simple. Yes, it can and it has. One common misconception about being transgender that can also lead to harmful thoughts is the belief that it is a choice to be transgender. It is not, not in the slightest. Studies from the European Society of Endocrinology have shown the brain structure and brain activity of transgender youth more closely resemble that of his/her preferred gender. Even during early development of the brain, differences of the brain structure and brain activity can be detected. Research has also demonstrated that gender-affirming care does greatly improve the mental health and overall well-being of gender diverse, transgender, non-binary, or non-cisgendered youth and adults. Medical experts agree with the fact that gender-affirming care is a medically necessary care which can be life-saving for transgender youth.
The reason why it can save lives is because of gender, body, top, and bottom dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is defined as “the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics.” Top dysphoria is the term used most often to describe someone’s discomfort or distress with their chest and upper body. Bottom dysphoria is the discomfort or distress caused by one’s genitalia, sex, and/or reproductive system not matching one’s gender identity.
With dysphoria, it can cause a transgender person, most commonly a transgender youth, to gain mental health issues like depression and anxiety, dysphoria can give one suicidal thoughts and intentions along with causing someone to self-harm. The best way to improve the mental health of a transgender individual would be gender-affirming care. Although gender-affirming care is not recognized as a complete “cure” for dysphoria, it is the best “treatment” for dysphoria. As a transgender boy myself, I can confirm dysphoria does make one’s mental health and well-being much worse, leading to suicide attempts and self-harm addictions.
The answer to the question of can gender affirming care save lives is simple and valid. Yes, it can, and it has.
Saturn Ludewig is a student at Lanesboro High School, one of 13 area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 25th year.
Anamoyous says
People are complicated. I think that people with identity issues should see a good pyschiatrist to help them see the issues and help them to deal with things so they don’t feel the need to commit suicide. The gender you are assigned at birth is made by doctors and you might have been born without definite genatalia. I would think that there must be hormonal tests to determine who you are. Children should not make this decision. In puberty children question who they are and given time they might change their mind and they can’t change what behavior they have done as a homosexual or a transgender.
Anonymous says
Saturn, thank you for your courage, your integrity, and your intelligence.
Rock/Cow per Walz says
I respect your opinion. If a person wishes to have this type of care, surgery, etc., then taxpayers should not have to pay for it. I do not have a problem if someone chooses this “lifestyle”, but do not complain you are “oppressed”. Or force it on someone else not old enough to make the decision for themselves. Being in high school Saturn, I do not think you have been in the real world long enough to fully understand the long-range consequences of such a decision. Maybe you should go live with HAMAS and see how understanding those people are with non-Muslims and trans-gender people.
Anonymous says
My apologies, but I found your comment very difficult to read with the multitude of sentence fragments and topic changes within your writing. Despite that, I will attempt to respond to the points of yours that I did understand.
Not once did the author mention that taxpayers pay for gender-affirming care, in fact, I will point out that health insurance will cover all gender-affirming care. Although healthcare is funded by federal taxes, it is up to both the individual and the insurance company as to whether or not someone will get gender-affirming care and have insurance cover the cost. It’s the same as deciding if insurance will cover splints, medication, surgery, etc.
My next point is that people do not “choose” to be transgender. Being trans is the same as being cis. It is the same as being homosexual or heterosexual. People are just born trans in the same manner people are born white, male, or straight. Did you choose your gender? Did you choose what gender you are attracted to? Did you choose what ethnicity you are? I don’t remember making that choice and I highly doubt you made that decision either.
I will admit it is a problem that people are encouraging children to transition when kids do not understand the consequences. We should regulate when people can start gender-affirming care and ensure that minors can revoke their decision if they discover that they truly don’t need nor want gender-affirming care. I will transition to say that, yes, the author is in high school, but most trans people realize their gender identity before they become adults. It’s also true that from early childhood, many trans and non-binary people develop, act, and think more similarly to their desired gender. (sources linked at the bottom of my post)
Now, onto my final point. What exactly does HAMAS and Islam have to do with this post? Not once was religion mentioned, especially Islam, in the entire article. Islam is a very tolerable religion. Muslims generally accept all people that wish to devote themselves to the teachings of Allah and the Qu’ran regardless of ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity. In fact, trans people are more accepted in Islam than homosexuals are. Gender-affirming care is even allowed for trans Muslims.
I will also state that HAMAS is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamist political and military organization in the Gaza Strip of Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. It is a group that is seeking to destroy and violently resist Israel and Israeli occupation. In what manner does this political organization relate to transgenders and gender-affirming care? (Again, all sources are linked below)
(Sources)
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180524112351.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8766261/#:~:text=Gender%20dysphoria%20history%3A%20Of%20155,mean%20age%20of%204.53%20years.
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hamas
https://www.hrc.org/resources/stances-of-faiths-on-lgbt-issues-islam