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Gender-affirming care for kids

  • Season: Season 3
  • Posted On:
  • Featuring: Sean Collins, Ponrat Pakpreo, M.D., MPH, Marcie Drury Brown, M.D., Bentley Moses, MPH

The Standard of Care for Pediatric Patients. A discussion of the accepted standard of care when assessing and treating pediatric patients whose gender expression is different from what was assigned at birth. In addition to clinicians and public health experts, we hear from parents of trans+ kids, others who love them, and trans+ kids themselves.

PERSONAL STORIES (BONUS MATERIAL)

Longer versions of the stories excerpted in this episode are available as BONUS MATERIAL for you to listen to at your leisure along with additional one-on-one interviews from trans+ & non-binary people, and their loved ones. These stories are being archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress as part of the HEAR ME NOW oral history project, the largest collection of healthcare narratives in the country.  

If you're interested in talking with someone about your experience with Trans+ healthcare, write to us and tell us something about your story. 

Our email: HearMeNowStories@providence.org 

SAM & ERIN

Sam Pelger, a 19-year-old trans man in New York, talks with his mother Erin Pelger about his transition when he was younger and living in Montana. (44:34)

EVY & HOLLY

Holly talks with her daughter Evy (14-year-old trans girl) about her transition seven years ago. (49:09)

KAREN & DANIEL

Rabbis Karen and Daniel Bogard talk about their young son's transition, about support they have received in their family, school, and faith communities — and the threats they face from the state legislature as parents of a trans child in Missouri. (30:42)

VINNY & HENRY

Vinny and Henry Fox discuss their life together and Vinny's identification as a queer non-binary trans+ person. (38:03)

CARMEN & ELBE

Carmen Marshall talks with her friend Elbe about shared experiences as mothers of trans+ individuals. (48:45)

ELBE & ELLA

Elbe talks with daughter Ella, a preteen trans girl. (38:33)

JAMI & SCOTT

Producer Scott Acord talks with Jami Gramore, a queer non-binary adult. (40:49)

TRAVIS, CINDY, & ROWAN

A  conversation between Travis, a pre-teen trans boy, and his parents Cindy & Rowan… who’ve asked us to use pseudonyms when referring to their family. (27:53)

JAYNE & SCOTT

Producer Scott Acord talks with  his colleague Jayne Hopke, who identifies herself as pan sexual. (39:53)

Ponrat Pakpreo, M.D., MPH

Pediatrician focusing on Adolescent Health

Providence Medical Group

Spokane, Wash.

Marcie Drury Brown, M.D.

Pediatric Endocrinologist

Providence St. Vincent Medical Center

Portland, Ore.

Bentley Moses, MPH

Senior Program Manager

Trans+ Health Initiative

Providence Institute for Human Caring

Gardena, Calif.

RESOURCES

World Professional Association for Transgender Health

American Academy of Pediatrics

Society of Adolescent Health & Medicine

The Endocrine Society

LGBTQIA+ Comprehensive Treatment at Swedish

Transgender Health at Swedish

GLAAD Transgender Resources

National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center

Transgender Law Center / Health Resources

HRC Resources for Providers & Hospital Administrators

The Trevor Project

The Lavender Rights Project

GALAP: Gender-Affirming Letter Access Project

Straight for Equality: Trans Ally Materials

ICATH: Informed Consent for Access to Trans Healthcare

US Trans Survey

GLOSSARY

A guide to some of the language you'll hear used when we talk about gender.

CISGENDER – Describes someone whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.

GENDER — The behavioral, cultural or psychological traits associated with one's sex, which can vary depending on time and place. Sex and gender are not the same.

GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE – Medical care that affirms a person's gender identity. For minors, this can include the use of puberty-blocking hormones. For adults, this could mean hormone therapy, speech therapy, and various surgical procedures.

GENDER DYSPHORIA – A term for the psychological and physical distress that can occur when one's sex assigned at birth does not align with their gender.

GENDER EUPHORIA – The satisfaction and happiness someone feels when their gender is affirmed.

GENDER EXPRESSION – How someone presents their gender outwardly, through behaviors, mannerisms, clothing, name, pronouns, and more.

GENDER IDENTITY – One's internal knowledge of one's own gender. For many, it aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. But others may identify with another or multiple genders.

GENDER TRANSITION – The multilayered process of aligning one's life with one's gender identity. This can include social, cultural, medical, and legal changes.

MISGENDER – An action when someone refers to another person by the wrong gender, either accidentally of intentionally.

NONBINARY – A term used by people whose gender identity or expression does not align neatly with "male" or "female."

SEX – Usually assigned at birth and based on the appearance of external anatomy. It's typically categorized as male, female, or intersex.

TRANS+ – An inclusive term relating to people with gender expressions such as transgender, genderqueer, agender, or nonbinary.

TRANSGENDER – Describes someone whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

TRANSPHOBIA – Prejudice or hatred shown in speech or actions toward transgender or gender-nonconforming people. This bias is centered on gender identity. 

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Based on a series of Instagram posts  published in April 2022 by the washingtonpost newspaper.