Adolescent Health Academy Statement on the Care of Transgender Children, Adolescents, and Youth

The transgender community has been long stigmatized, and discriminated against, and faces numerous mental and physical problems. Certain indicators of transgender personality appear during childhood and more often before puberty begins. This puts the onus on Pediatricians to identify and offer evidence-based care for their benefit. There is an urgent and deep-felt need to understand the medical, legal, and social aspects of the care of transgender children. Hence, Adolescent Health Academy decided to release a statement on the care of transgender children, adolescents, and youth.

To review the existing international and national guidelines and recommendations to formulate a statement for the Pediatricians on (a) terminologies and definitions; (b) legal status in India; and (c) implications for pediatric practice.

A task force was convened by the Adolescent Health Academy as the writing committee to draft the guidelines. These were approved by all the members of the task force and the Executive Board of Adolescent Health Academy (2022).

Gender identity develops in childhood and adolescence as a feeling of self, and it should be respected to mitigate gender dysphoria. The law permits transgenders the right of self-affirmation and it upholds their dignity in society. The transgender community is prone to victimization, and prejudice leading to a high risk of substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and mental health issues. Pediatricians are the primary care providers of children and adolescents including those with gender incongruence, so they should be abridged with gender-affirmative practices. Gender-affirmative care involves pubertal suppression, hormonal therapy, and surgery which should be done in conjugation with the social transition, by a gender-affirmative care team.