School Approves Program To Give 13yo Girls Hormone
Rachel Blevins June 20, 2018
While parental consent is typically required when a student goes on a field trip or is subjected to a vision test in school, students as young 13 years old are being prescribed birth control at a public school in Washington D.C. and they could leave school with a prescription for pills or a newly inserted IUD, without their parents ever being notified.
The program is currently happening at Anacostia High School, a public school in D.C. that has around 450 students, 98.9 percent of whom are African American. Only 1 percent of the students are proficient in Math, and only 4 percent are proficient in English, according to the schools website.
Midwife Loral Patchen, who runs the program at the school and is responsible for administering pregnancy and STD tests, and prescribing various forms of birth control to underage girls, told NPR that the goal is to reduce the rate of teen pregnancy.
I feel really good about the fact that we offer the full range of options and we have very very low removal rates, Patchen said, noting that the girls typically stick with the form of birth control she prescribes for the remainder of their time in high school.
Patchen also provides prenatal care for young girls who are already pregnant. While the information she is giving may be valuable, the fact that parental consent is not required raises some serious red flags.
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Fact Check: Dr Rachel Levine During Hearing Did Not Confirm Or Deny Support For Children Having Gender Reassignment Surgery Without Parental Consent
8 Min Read
Social media users have been sharing posts online which claim that Dr Rachel Levine, former Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and now President Joe Bidens new assistant health secretary,believes children should be allowed to have gender reassignment surgery without parental consent. There is no evidence to support this claim.
Examples of posts making the claim can be seen here and here . The posts read: Dr. Rachel Levine, US Assistant Secretary for Health, believes that all children should be allowed to select their gender and have access to government-funded sex reassignment surgery without parental notification or authorization.
The posts likely refer to an exchange between Senator Rand Paul and Levine during her Senate confirmation hearing on Feb. 25, 2021. A video of the exchange can be seen on C-SPAN here .
Paul starts the C-SPAN clip saying genital mutilation has been condemned by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Childrens Fund, the United Nations Population Fund. Reuters was unable to find WHO or U.N. statements condemning gender reassignment surgery for transgender people, and searches for genital mutilation and these agencies result in papers on female genital mutilation, an entirely different practice indeed that has been condemned by both agencies .
In the exchange, Paul asks Levine whether she supports minors being able to transition, calling the procedure genital mutilation.
What To Expect On Your First Visit And Beyond
Before you visit, please call to make an appointment and request gender affirming hormone therapy. We also have useful information about pharmacies, prescription refills, insurance, how to transfer your care, and much more.
We now offer gender affirming care at all 35 PPMM health centers! To book an appointment, you can call or book online. For online booking, please find the nearest health center, click BOOK ONLINE, and enter “Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy” as the reason for your visit.
- Feminizing Hormone Therapy including estrogen and spironolactone
- Masculinizing Hormone Therapy including testosterone
We may be able to start or continue hormone therapy and provide referrals for gender-qualified therapy and resources if needed. If you are on hormone therapy, you can utilize the health center for ongoing care and monitoring.
In order to receive gender affirming hormone therapy services you need to be over 18 and capable of providing consent for services. There are special consents for these services.
At PPMM, we strive to serve every patient to the best of our abilities. We are not currently able to prescribe puberty blockers or gender affirming hormones therapy to youth under 16. Transgender and gender diverse youth are welcome to access the rest of our services, including birth control, STI testing and treatment and more.
- UCLA Gender Health Program
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The Claim: If Proposal 3 Passes It Would Allow Children To Undergo Gender
Opponents of Proposal 3 a ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights in the Michigan Constitution call it a “Pandora’s box” that goes far beyond restoring the national right to an abortion lost when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this summer.
The proposed constitutional amendment which appears on the Michigan ballot as “Proposal 22-3” would allow children to undergo “gender change therapy without parental consent,” Citizens to Support MI Women & Children claims in a . Citizens to Support MI Women & Children is a coalition campaigning against Proposal 3 that includes prominent abortion rights opponents, including Right to Life of Michigan and the Michigan Catholic Conference.
One television ad from the coalition shows boxes of a medication called Triptorelin with fluid dripping from the needle before scanning over the faces of young children. “This drug blocks a child from going through puberty,” the narrator says. “It’s the first step in gender change therapy. Clinics prescribe this drug in Michigan. If Proposal 3 passes, minors as young as 10 or 11 will be able to receive this prescription without the consent of their parents or their parents even knowing.”
More:Proposal 3 on abortion access could leave questions for Michigan Supreme Court to decide
Griffith R Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Journal2
In NSW, the Minors Act 1970 provides some guidance regarding the medical treatment of young people. Section 49 of this Act states that a medical practitioner who provides treatment with the consent of a child 14 years or over will have a defence to any action for assault or battery. This Act does not assist in a situation where there is a conflict between a child and their parents or guardians. A parent can still potentially override a childs consent to treatment.
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What Is Federal Policy Regarding Gender
The Biden administration has taken multiple steps to promote access to health care for LGBTQ+ people and to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, including:
- On his first day in office, President Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to review existing regulations and policies in order to prevent and combat discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The order states that people should be able to access healthcarewithout being subjected to sex discrimination and views sex nondiscrimination protections as encompassing sexual orientation and gender identity, following the Supreme Courts Bostock
In addition to establishing a foundation of nondiscrimination policies for LGBTQ+ people, and participating in the Alabama and Arkansas cases as noted above, the administration has responded specifically to the Texas directive, denouncing it as discriminatory and stating that gender affirming care for youth should be supported as follows:
OCR enforces each of these federal laws, and the guidance states that parents or caregivers who believe their child has been denied health care, including gender affirming care, and health care providers who believe they have been unlawfully restricted from providing such care, may file an administrative complaint for OCR to investigate.
Current Laws Guiding Consent In The Treatment Of Gender Dysphoria
The laws governing consent for the treatment of gender dysphoria are distinct from that for routine medical procedures, where a child who is Gillick competent may consent to their own treatment, or special medical procedures, where court authorisation is required in all cases . Currently, all three stages of treatment for gender dysphoria in children and adolescents require consent from all parties with parental responsibility. This applies even when a young person is Gillick competent and consents to their own treatment. If there is any dispute between treating medical practitioners or parents regarding a young persons Gillick competence and/or diagnosis or treatment, a court application is required.8Box 1 illustrates this with an algorithm for practitioners to determine the appropriate pathway to obtain consent when treatment is indicated for a minor who has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
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New California Law Allows Children To Get Transgender Treatments Without Parental Consent
A new law recently passed in California allows children as young as 12 years old to receive taxpayer-funded transgender treatments and services, without parental consent.
The controversial California law, known as AB 2119, is intended to provide that the rights of minors and nonminors in foster care, as described above, include the right to be involved in the development of case plan elements related to placement and gender affirming health care, with consideration of their gender identity. AB 2119 was authored by Assemblyman Todd Gloria .
Costs related to the treatments will reportedly be covered by tax-paying Californians, based on a provision included in the legislation.
All children in foster care, as well as former foster youth up to 26 years of age, are entitled to Medi-Cal coverage without cost share or income or resource limits, reads the bill. The Medi-Cal program provides transition-related health care services when those services are determined to be medically necessary.
A sub-provision also stipulates that all rights afforded to children in the foster care system, such as the right to confidential health and mental care, will also now apply to gender affirming healthcare.
Foster parents will have no say over whether or not the children in their care obtain these services.
Prior to passage of the bill, the American College of Pediatricians filed testimony against the legislation, strongly urging California legislators to reject it.
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No Young Children Cannot Take Hormones Or Change Their Sex
If Your Time is short
Professional medical organizations recommend against puberty blockers for children who have not reached puberty, which typically begins between ages 10 and 12.
Hormone treatment for feminization or masculinization of the body is typically not considered until patients are at least 16 years old.
Gender reassignment surgery is typically only available to those 18 and older in the United States.
Misinformation about medical treatments for transgender patients has proliferated in recent weeks, as a spate of events brought transgender rights into the spotlight.
The social media backlash was swift following executive actions from President Joe Biden to expand transgender rights, his nomination of a transgender woman for assistant health secretary and the U.S. House of Representatives passing of the Equality Act to prohibit discrimation based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
One features an image of a father and son from the comic strip “The Family Circus,” with text that reads, “Can I have a cigarette? No, youre 5. Can I have a beer? No, youre 5. Can I drive the car? No, youre 5. Can I take hormones and change my sex? Sure! You know best.”
The onset of puberty is the baseline for medical intervention. Puberty typically occurs between ages 10 and 14 for girls and 12 and 16 for boys.
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Without Help Of A Parent Or Guardian
It is better to get help from your family. That is the choice I hope you will make. These other options are often not as safe.
From a family planning clinic
- Planned Parenthood
- At this time, only some Planned Parenthood health centers have hormones for trans people. Even fewer can help young trans people. The best way to find out is to call or visit your nearest Planned Parenthood health center.
- If you cannot get hormones, you may be able to get blood tests done. This can help if you are taking drugs without medical supervision.
From adult friends and peers
- You might ask a trusted friend or family member who is over 18 to help you. You will need to come out to them. They might tell your family, so think hard before talking to someone.
- If you know trusted adults in your area who are making a gender change, you may be able to get one of them to help you.
- Do not ask people you meet online, even other people who say they are like you. Only ask people you have already met in person and trust.
- You can ask them to order what you want from an online pharmacy. Then you can pay them. They need to know this is probably against the law.
Rantz: Wa Laws Now Allow Teen Gender Reassignment Surgery Without Parental Consent
Washington state now appears to allow minors to undergo life-changing gender reassignment surgery without parental consent.
Under a new law, health insurers must cover gender-affirming care, including surgical treatments that were previously denied coverage. Democrats rejected a proposal to apply the new law to patients over 18 years old.
Its one in a series of new laws that, taken together, allow children as young as 13 years old to make serious health care decisions. The consequences are immense.
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Can A Child Consent To Treatment
Children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if theyre believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate whats involved in their treatment. This is known as being Gillick competent. Otherwise, someone with parental responsibility can consent for them.
Can A 15 Year Old See A Doctor Without Parents Knowing
Did you know that if you want to see a doctor or nurse you dont always have to have your parents with you, or even their permission to come here and be seen? Different people are ready at different ages to see a doctor or a nurse alone, and legally there is no set age to be seen without your parents.
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Who Decides Minors Consent To Health Care
AB v CD and EF is a case in which AB, a transgender youth, sought gender-affirming medical treatment at age 13. His gender clinic endocrinologist, Dr GH, recommended puberty-delaying hormone therapy his father, CD, disagreed. Both AB and CD went to court: AB for a decision that he was entitled to consent to the recommended hormone therapy CD to prevent that treatment.
The trial judge dismissed CDs application for an injunction preventing treatment, which enabled treatment to proceed. The trial judge held that CDs guardianship right to determine medical care for his child was limited by section 41 of the Family Law Act , which specifies that a guardians rights are subject to s 17 of the Infants Act . Under s 17 of the Infants Act , if a minor understands a proposed treatment and its consequences, and the minors medical provider finds the minor competent and the treatment to be in the best interest of the minor, the minor has the exclusive right to consent to the treatment. So the court held that AB was exclusively entitled to consent his father could not intervene. The BC Court of Appeal agreed.
What Are The Implications Of Access Restrictions
State policies restricting youth access to gender affirming care could have significant health and other implications for LGBTQ+ youth, their parents, health care providers, and, in some cases, other community members:
LGBTQ+ youth: LGBTQ+ youth experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. In one CDC study of youth in 10 states and 9 urban school districts, a higher share of transgender students reported suicide risk outcomes across a range of metrics than cisgender students. These include, in the past 12 months: having felt sad or hopeless, considered attempting suicide, made a suicide plan, attempted suicide, or had a suicide attempt treated by a doctor or nurse. Inability to access gender affirming care, such as puberty suppressors and hormone therapy, has been linked to worse mental health outcomes for transgender youth, including with respect to suicidal ideation, potentially exacerbating the already existing disparities. Conversely, access to this care is associated with improved outcomes in these domains. Policies that aim to prohibit or interrupt access to gender affirming care for youth can therefore have negative implications for health in potentially life-threatening ways.
In addition, LGBTQ people report higher rates of negative experiences with medical providers, so creating barriers to gender affirming care could further challenge transgender peoples relationship with the healthcare system.
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Liias Finally Weighs In With An Evasive Response
Initially, Liias did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Instead, the Senate Democratic Caucus spokesperson sent a statement arguing there is not a specific mention of gender affirming care in statute. She argues that means gender reassignment surgery would still need parental consent.
But SB 5889 mentions explicitly gender dysphoria and gender affirming care. And Liias bill covers gender affirming surgical procedures.
When asked to clarify their statement with the language in the bills, the spokesperson did not respond. But at the behest of the Senate Democratic Caucus, Liias finally responded.
I asked Liias if he supports gender reassignment surgery for minors either with or without parental consent. He would not answer directly but implied he supports it with or without parental consent.
There is not a short or simple answer on what care is appropriate for which individuals. In short, I support the ability of all trans people to access medically necessary care. Medical providers use established standards of care in consultation with patients and their caregivers as appropriate, Liias wrote in an email to the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.
He linked to the American Academy of Pediatrics with an example of pediatric care guidelines. It does offer guidance to avoid surgery, such as pubertal suppression in children.