Gender Creative or Transgender Youth and Advanced Nursing Practice

Area of Science:

• Pediatric endocrinology
• Adolescent medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Gender dysphoria is defined by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) as distress from a discrepancy between gender identity and sex assigned at birth.
• Gender creative (GC) and transgender (TG) youth face significant mental health risks without timely, competent gender-affirming care.

Observation:

• Awareness and early care for TG youth in specialty clinics are increasing.
• Barriers to comprehensive care for GC and TG youth persist across multiple levels.
• Nurses, especially advanced practice nurses, can create safe, inclusive, family-centered spaces.

Findings:

• GC and TG youth require knowledgeable and timely gender-affirming care to mitigate mental health disparities.
• Advanced practice nurses can serve as mentors and leaders in providing gender-affirming care.
• Parental and advanced practice nurse support significantly impacts GC and TG youth's journey on the gender spectrum.

Implications:

• There is a growing need for accessible, high-quality gender-affirming care for GC and TG youth.
• Advanced practice nurses are vital in addressing the mental health needs of GC and TG youth.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to overcome barriers and improve health outcomes for gender diverse youth.