Archive for transgender
First-of-its-kind study links puberty blockers to lower odds of suicidal thoughts
Also called puberty blockers, gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRHas) are medications that can halt estrogen and testosterone production, effectively suppressing the physical changes associated with puberty. This allows transgender and non-binary teens to explore their gender identity without the pressure of puberty, which can exacerbate feelings of dysphoria. GnRHas are administered by implants or injections and ... Read More
The Center for Gender Surgery: Pioneering team looks to the future
In January 2018, physicians in Boston Children’s Center for Gender Surgery performed the first hospital’s phalloplasty, or surgical creation of a penis. The procedure was groundbreaking: It was the first such surgery performed for a transgender patient at a major U.S. pediatric hospital. And it was a key step in the 24-year-old patient’s lifelong journey ... Read More
Recent research from the Center for Gender Surgery
The Center for Gender Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital offers a full suite of surgical options for eligible patients ready to take this step in their gender journey. A pair of recent studies by the center’s staff promise to further increase our understanding of transgender health. New system helps identify transmasculine patients’ surgical priorities Transmasculine ... Read More
What it means to be non-binary: A guide for parents
Today, 14 states plus New York City and the District of Columbia offer a third gender option on drivers’ licenses, allowing those who don’t identify as male or female the ability to choose to represent their gender with an “X” instead. Celebrities like actors Indya Moore and Amandla Stenberg, model Rain Dove, activist Jacob Tobia, ... Read More
How to support your gender-diverse child: Your questions, answered
Your daughter cries every time you try to put her in a dress. Your teenage son begins going by a stereotypically feminine name. Your child asks you to start using “they/their/them” as their preferred pronouns. They’re not alone: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2 percent of high school students ... Read More
Always pads get more inclusive for gender-diverse teens and adults
Buying menstrual products may get a little less stressful for teens and young adults who menstruate but don’t identify as female, thanks to a recent change by Procter & Gamble (P&G). Last week, the company announced that it would be removing the Venus symbol — traditionally associated with the female sex — from the packaging of ... Read More
‘I know you’re a boy’: Nick’s transition story
After returning home and slipping off my dress from my seventh grade semi-formal, I swore to myself I’d never go to a school dance again. Yet five years later, I came home from my senior prom smiling — and took off my tux and crown. That night, I was walking on air after being named ... Read More
Oliver’s story: ‘This is how I’m supposed to be’
Oliver Kuehne loves the beach. Luckily for this Cape Cod native, he’s able to enjoy the sun and sand all summer long. Yet this will be the first season that he’ll feel truly comfortable shedding his shirt. “I’m definitely excited to be able to do that now,” he says. Oliver, 19, has been coming to ... Read More
Comfortable in his own skin: Michael’s story
It was a warm June afternoon, and Michael Maher and his longtime girlfriend, Jessica Ireland, had plenty of reasons to smile as they posed for photos in Boston Children’s rooftop garden. After weeks of rain, the sun was finally out. The couple was packing for an upcoming trip to Universal Studios. And Michael had just ... Read More
When puberty betrays you
Author Chris Edwards delivered an engaging keynote address at Boston Children's 2019 Experience Week, describing his transgender experience and journey.