A Multi-Lens Ethics Analysis of Gender-Affirming Care for Youth with Implications for Practice and Policy

Currently, the provision of gender-affirming care to transgender and gender-diverse youth is highly contested. Fractious debate is being waged by GAC-permissive and GAC-restrictive proponents which has, importantly, spilled-over into the political domain. In the paper, an ethics analysis of gender-affirming care for youth is employed through the application of a set of relevant, ethics lenses, i.e., individual and relational autonomy; patient welfare (comparative benefits and burdens of GAC); health equity; traditional-distributive, formal and social justice; and injustices related to health research and political interference. In the author's view, this multi-lens analysis supports the continued use of a potentially adapted version of the gender-affirming care model in the assessment and treatment of transgender and gender-diverse youth. Arising from the analysis, a set of suggested recommendations is proposed that could potentially inform clinical practice and the development/revision of gender-affirming care for youth practice-standards, health policy and legislation.