Youth Need Medical Access to Puberty Blockers before Age 16

It is important for trans youth (and other children) to have access to puberty blockers. Puberty is beginning earlier, for some girls as young as 8 years old. The changes to the body that happen during puberty can be distressing if they are not in line with a youth’s gender. Puberty blockers can help relieve this distress. Delaying puberty gives the young person more time to explore their gender identity & make a mature decision, before bodily changes happen that can’t be reversed. The effect of puberty blockers is completely reversible. If a youth decides not to transition, they go off puberty blockers and puberty begins.  If they decide to transition, after the current long process of in-depth consultations with medical doctor, psychologists and family members, then they begin the transition under needed medical care. To not allow puberty blockers until the age of 16, means that most youth will have already gone through or begun puberty before being allowed puberty blockers. If the youth decides to transition genders, without puberty blockers they will go through puberty twice, which is extremely hard on their physical body as well as their mental well-being.