REN
WHEN TALKING ABOUT TRANSITION,
IT LARGELY IS SOCIAL, CHANGING
HAIR CLOTHES PRONOUNS AND A
NAME, BUT THERE COMES A TIME
WHEN MEDICATIONS COME INTO PLAY
FOR THESE YOUTH TO FULLY
TRANSITION
FOR 15-YEAR-OLD TYLER REED A
HIS FRIEND, 18-YEAR-OLD COLIN
THE ROAD TO TRUE SELF BEGAN WITH
FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
BUT THE JOURNEY FOR THESE
TRANSGENDER TEENS ALSO INCLUDES
EXPLORING MEDICAL OPTIONS TO
TRANSITION.
>> I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO
FACIAL HAIR AND MY VOICE BEING
LOWER.
>> HELP CLOSE THIS GAP BETWEEN
HOW I FEEL INSIDE AND HOW I LOOK
ON THE OUTSIDE.
VICKI: TO DO SO FAMILIES WORK
CLOSELY WITH GENDER THERAPISTS.
>> YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM WHAT'S
GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD.
AND A LOT OF THE TIME YOU DON'T
EVEN KNOW.
VICKI: AND DOCTORS LIKE CAROL
MILAZZO WHO WAS AMONG THE FIRST
IN THE SACRAMENTO-AREA TO TREAT
CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH GENDER
DYSPHORIA, BORN ONE SEX, BUT
IDENTIFYING AS ANOTHER.
>> A PERSON'S GENDER IDENTITY IS
PRETTY MUCH FIXED BY THE TIME
THAT THEY ARE 3 YEARS OF AGE.
AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT YOU CAN
ACTUALLY CHANGE THEM.
VICKI: THE PEDIATRICIAN
RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR TRANS
YOUTH MORE THAN A DECADE AGO AND
TO DATE SHE HAS CARED FOR
HUNDREDS OF YOUNG PATIENTS.
>> BACK WHEN I STARTED 12 YEARS
AGO, IT WAS EXTREMELY
CONTROVERSIAL.
IT'S BECOME LESS SO BECAUSE
THERE IS MORE UNDERSTANDING.
VICKI: FOR 8-YEAR-OLD TAYLER WHO
WAS BORN FEMALE BUT IDENTIFIES
AS MALE, THE IDEA OF GOING
THROUGH PUBERTY ONE DAY AND
DEVELOPING FEMALE TRAITS IS A
STRESSFUL TOPIC.
>> TAYLOR BRINGS IT UP WEEKLY.
THERE IS A LOT OF FEAR ABOUT
DEVELOPING.
VICKI: HOWEVER, MEDICATION MAKES
IT POSSIBLE FOR TAYLER TO HOLD
OFF DEVELOPING AS FEMALE BY
ESSENTIALLY PUTTING PUBERTY ON
HOLD.
HORMONE BLOCKERS ARE TAKEN AT
THE FIRST SIGN OF PUBERTY FO
TRANS CHILDREN, MEDICATION THAT
ALLOWS DEVELOPMENT TO STOP FOR
TWO TO THREE YEARS AND IS
COMPLETELY REVERSIBLE IF
FAMILIES DECIDE NOT TO MOVE
FORWARD WITH TRANSITION.
>> THE ONLY SIDE EFFECTS
ESSENTIALLY IS THAT YOU BECOME A
LATE BLOOMER.
VICKI: HORMONE BLOCKERS ARE A
MEDICAL ALTERNATIVE THAT BUYS
TIME, GIVING TAYLER AND KATIE A
CHOICE OF WHETHER TO GO THROUGH
A FEMALE PUBERTY.
>> WE WILL CROSS THAT BRIDGE
WHEN WE GET THERE.
BUT I BELIEVE AT THIS POINT
HORMONE BLOCKERS WOULD BE THE
BEST WAY TO GO TO PROTECT
TAYLER'S SELF ESTEEM THROUGH
HIGH SCHOOL.
VICKI: BUT FOR OLDER TRANS
CHILDREN, THE NEXT STEP INVOLVES
MAKING PERMANENT MEDICAL
DECISIONS TO BRING THEM CLOSER
TO A FULL TRANSITION.
>> TO CONTINUE BUILDING HOW I
SEE MYSELF
VICKI: HORMONE REPLACEMENT
THERAPY, KNOWN AS HRT OR
CROSS-SEX HORMONES, ALLOWS
BIOLOGICALLY FEMALE TRANS
PATIENTS TO GO THROUGH A MALE
PUBERTY WITH TESTOSTERONE
, DEVELOPING CHARACTERISTICS
, SUCH AS A DEEPER VOICE AND
FACIAL HAIR.
WHILE BIOLOGICALLY MALE TRANS
PATIENTS WILL USE ESTROGEN TO GO
THROUGH A FEMALE PUBERTY
, DEVELOPING BREAST TISSUE AND A
WIDENING OF THE HIPS, AMONG
OTHER FEATURES.
BUT AS A RESULT OF TAKING THESE
HORMONES, FERTILITY STOPS AND
THERE IS NO GOING BACK.
>> IT IS AN ETHICAL DILEMMA TO
MAKE A LIFE-CHANGING DECISION
LIKE THIS ON A CHILD THAT HAS
NOT REACHED A MATURITY OF AGE.
THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S WHY THESE THINGS ARE
TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND THERE HAS TO BE A THERAPIST
INVOLVED TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE
THAT WE ARE MAKING THE RIGHT
DECISIONS.
VICKI: A BIG REASON TRANS
FAMILIES ARE FORCED TO MAKE
CRITICAL DECISIONS FOR THEIR
CHILDREN AT A YOUNG AGE IS DUE
TO ALARMINGLY HIGH RATES OF
DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE
A UCLA STUDY FOUND THAT 41% OF
TRANSGENDER AMERICANS HAVE
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
THAT'S COMPARED TO 4.6% OF THE
GENERAL POPULATION.
TYLER REED HAS EXPERIENCED THE
SUICIDE RISK FIRST HAND.
>> YOU COULD GO THROUGH EATING
DISORDERS AND YOU CAN GO THROUGH
SELF HARM, EVERYTHING.
AND IT WON'T GET BETTER.
>> ONCE YOU HAVE A SUICIDE
ATTEMPT, I WAS SCARED.
I WAS SCARED FOR HIS LIFE.
VICKI: RESEARCH RELEASED BY THE
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
SHOWS THAT PUBERTY BLOCKERS AS
WELL AS CROSS-SEX HORMONES CAN
SIGNIFICANTLY ALLEVIATE
DEPRESSION AND SUICIDAL
THOUGHTS.
SO FOR HIM, THAT'S HOW I SEE
IT IS TO MAKE HIM HEALTHY.
IT'S TO MAKE HIM HEALTHY
MENTALLY.
VICKI: THERE IS A CLINIC
SPECIFICALLY FOR TRANSGENDER
CHILDREN LOCATED AT UCSF THE
CHILD & ADOLESCENT GENDER CENTER
IS A FIRST OF IT'S KIND IN THE
COUNTR
SINCE 2010, FAMILIES RECEIVE
MEDICAL SERVICES LEGAL ADVICE
MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION
ALL IN ONE PLACE
DOCTOR STEPHEN ROSENTHAL IS THE
MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
>> WE ARE HAVING ON AVERAGE MORE
THAN 10 NEW PATIENTS REFERRED
EVERY MONTH.
AND IT CERTAINLY HAS EXCEEDED
ANYTHING I HAD EVER REALLY
ANTICIPATED.
RICKY: THE RISKS OF GENDER
DYSPHORIA ARE KNOWN AND
MEDICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR
TEENS, LIKE COLIN AND TYLER
REED.
>> YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LIVE IN
THE MOMENT AND ENJOY YOURSELF
NOW.
BUT ALL I SEE IS THE FUTURE WHEN
I'M LIKE A MANLY MAN.
VICKI: BUT THE DOCTORS WE SPOKE
WITH TELL US DESPITE PROGRESS
FOR TREATING GENDER DYSPHORIA
MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE TO
UNDERSTAND THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS
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