Gender-Affirming Policies

Components

How This Impacts Children's Development

Description

Access to medical services and supportive school policies are crucial in safeguarding transgender and gender-diverse youth (TGD). When TGD youth are able to access developmentally appropriate gender-affirming support services, they are less likely to experience depressive symptoms and suicidal ideations.

Read the brief: Gender-Affirming Policies Support Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth's Health, 2022

Talking Points from the SRCD Brief

Transgender and gender-diverse youth (TGD) are two to three times more likely to experience discrimination and a lack of safety in schools than their cisgender peers.
Gender affirming care and puberty blocking has been linked to positive outcomes for TGD youth (e.g. lower levels of anxiety, depression and suicidality).
Many TGD youth are sent home from school or to detention because of their gender expression.
58% of TGD youth also report having been prevented from using bathrooms that aligned with their gender identity.
30-50% of TGD youth report attempting suicide.
One study found that transgender youth who could use their name in school were 56% less likely to report suicidal behavior.

Policy Considerations in the Brief

The use of developmentally appropriate, gender-affirming health care, including puberty suppression, gender-affirming hormones, surgical interventions, and mental health care for TGD youth should not be subject to political scrutiny.
Healthcare companies could provide insurance coverage of developmentally appropriate, gender-affirming health care, including puberty suppression, gender-affirming hormones, surgical interventions, and mental health care for TGD youth.
Medical records could standardize the collection and privacy of gender identity and expression data in medical records, while also allowing greater research on health disparities.
School-based policies that promote inclusion and acceptance have been linked to positive outcomes for TGD youth, such as addressing bullying, allowing students to change their names in school files, engaging in sports and activities that align with their affirmed gender, allowing the use of bathrooms and locker rooms that align with the student’s affirmed gender, using the student’s preferred name and pronouns, and training school personnel on inclusion for TGD youth.

Read the brief: Gender-Affirming Policies Support Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth's Health, 2022