This week, A federal court in Arkansas hears testimony On whether the ban on access to gender-affirming health care passed by the state legislature in 2021, which has been suspended by court order, should be upheld or repealed. In Arkansas, even 1800 transgender youth under the age of 18 He may be denied access to health care recommended by many professional societies, including the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, As evidence-based patient care. This ban has direct and severe consequences for the lives and safety of transgender children in Arkansas, and is generating unnecessary pressure on transgender people. youths And the families Cross in the United States
The importance of accessing gender affirmation care for transgender youth cannot be underestimated. More than a third of transgender high school students who completed a 2017 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported having attempted suicide in the previous 12 months –At four to six times the rate reported by their male and female peers. Research has shown that access to pubertal blockers is associated with Lower odds of suicidal ideation for life Receive medical care that confirms your gender Lower risk of suicide attempts among transgender adults surveyed in 2015 who wanted and received such care (6.5%), compared to those who did not (8.9%). It is clear that efforts to support transgender youth in living according to their gender identity are associated with better mental health, While efforts to change the gender identity of transgender people increase the risk of suicide.
Gender confirmation care includes access to hormones to delay puberty, It is fully reversibleand hormones to promote the development of secondary sexual characteristics (such as facial hair or breasts) that correspond to a child’s gender identity. These are the same hormones that pediatricians use to treat babies who start to pass out Puberty too early (Younger than eight or nine years old) Also used in Contraceptive pills It is prescribed to men of compatible sex Low levels of testosterone. In other words, hormones have been around for a long time and many people use them to treat a range of conditions.
Read more: Trial Begins Over Arkansas Ban On Gender Affirmation Sponsorship For Transgender Youth
The negative impact of denying sex affirmation care on mental health does not happen out of thin air, but it does affect young people who are already under an enormous amount of stress. Transgender youth are exposed to significantly higher levels of school violence, including being threatened or injured with a weapon at school, by their gender-matched peers. some experience Rejection from their families Because they’re transgender, and 93% are concerned about accessing gender-confirming medical care for transgender people while 83% are concerned about transgender people being denied the ability to exercise Because of the actions of policy makers in More than half of the United States States. Exposure to accumulated stress is a risk to poor mental and physical health, Generallyhas been shown To increase the risk of suicide in a study of more than 27,000 transgender people.
Research also indicates that the negative health effects of depriving transgender youth of gender affirmation care do not begin with its enforcement, but with the public discussion of the issue and the enactment and approval of the law by the courts. Studies on other LGBTQ+ issues have shown that you have your life and your rights publicly discussed It can have negative effects on health, as is the case Pass laws codifying anti-LGBTQ+ laws. This court decision will have serious ramifications for the 1,800 young transgender people who reside in Arkansas, many who were born and raised in the state, and for the mental health of nearly 300,00 young transgender who reside elsewhere in this country.
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