Transgender medicine- transitioning transgender children to adulthood

Abstract

There has been an increasing prevalence of individuals presenting for treatment of gender dysphoria over the past several years. This growing population includes transgender children referred to pediatric clinics. Transgender children meeting diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria, with supportive mental health care, may be treated with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and cross sex hormones. The treatment for these children requires ongoing maintenance and monitoring and therefore follow-up in the adult care setting. As is the case with other conditions that require long term treatment, these youth need a formal transition from pediatric to adult clinical care. The period of transition of care is critical and if not executed properly exposes the adolescent to risks of complications, and loss of follow-up. The proper clinical transfer is especially important for transgender youth in the setting of increased psychosocial and mental health issues. The transition of care for transgender adolescents has not been formally studied but given a growing population seeking treatment for gender dysphoria, it will need to be systematically assessed to determine the best outcomes to measure.

Keywords: Cross sex hormones; Transgender medicine; Transgender youth; Transitions of care.