As the outcome of the Bell v Tavi ruling in the UK continues to have far-reaching implications for transgender youth around the world, GenderGP is alarmed to learn that in Sweden, transgender youth under the age of 18, are no longer able to access blockers or hormones, as a direct result of the UK decision.
This news is another blow to families who are merely seeking the best care for their children. Like the UK, waiting lists in Sweden are long, and this move will leave many younger people with very few options. A local support group has described both the families impacted – and the Gender Identity Clinic responsible for the care of the patient cohort – as “devastated” by the news.
In light of this news, GenderGP would like to reiterate its stance on providing care to those under the age of 18 in Sweden and elsewhere in the world. In line with guidance laid out by the Endocrine Society and World Professional Association for Transgender Health, GenderGP supports sweden’s transgender and non-binary individuals of all ages, all over the world and is happy to work with patients, families and local doctors as required. GenderGP already support’s Sweden’s transgender community. To find out more about how GenderGP can support you to access the care you need, please visit our Help Centre.
Bell v Tavi
GenderGP is shocked that the outcomes of the Bell v Tavi case have been widely used as an argument to prevent access to care to this patient population, particularly as the current court case only applies to the local NHS Gender Identity Development Service in the UK, which has itself been found to be severely lacking in its service delivery to this patient population.
Indeed, on March 26th, a case brought by The Good Law Project to allow parental consent to be taken into account for trans youth was successful, meaning that children with the support of their parents will no longer be barred from accessing puberty blockers by the Bell decision. The ruling was described as “in large part reversing the practical effects of Bell”.
Following the Bell v Tavi case, the Global Professional Associations of Transgender Health put out a clear statement highlighting that putting barriers in the way of accessing puberty blockers has the potential to cause significant and long-lasting harm to patients.This has had an impact’s on Sweden’s transgender community.
Gender affirming care
Gender affirming care is proven to improve the outcomes for trans individuals. Leading providers of Sweden’s transgender healthcare are in agreement that gender-affirmative treatments are an important option for transgender youth.
Gender affirming care must be made available to Sweden’s transgender youth and that care must be safe, effective, well-led and responsive. For those who are struggling to access gender affirming care, GenderGP provides an affordable alternative.
For more information about our fully remote service and how we provide gender affirming care to Sweden’s transgender and non binary individuals, please view the information here. Our Appraisal Pathway can be found here.
Even though gender-affirming treatment has been recognised as being effective in helping trans and non-binary who request medical intervention, it is still a relatively unknown area of healthcare. Research shows that it can help individuals to resolve gender dysphoria and avoid negative outcomes which may result from withholding such treatment.
While ongoing research into the long-term effects of both hormonal and surgical interventions in this group is underway, it will take time before the full results of such studies are available.
In the meantime, our focus must be on providing ethically sound, patient-centered, gender-affirming care based on the ample evidence that is currently available.
Photo by Linus Mimietz on Unsplash