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Endocrinology and transgender people

Endocrinology is a scientific and medical specialty focusing on the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones.

The Endocrine Society, an expert organization of 18,000 scientific and medical professionals, published a position statement on trans and gender diverse healthcare that employs hormones:

  • There is a durable biological underpinning to gender identity that should be considered in policy determinations.
  • Medical intervention for transgender youth and adults (including puberty suppression, hormone therapy and medically indicated surgery) is effective, relatively safe (when appropriately monitored), and has been established as the standard of care. Federal and private insurers should cover such interventions as prescribed by a physician as well as the appropriate medical screenings that are recommended for all body tissues that a person may have.
  • Increased funding for national pediatric and adult transgender health research programs is needed to close the gaps in knowledge regarding transgender medical care and should be made a priority.

The current Endocrine Society/AACE guidelines recommend hormone therapy for:

  • Transgender and gender diverse adults with persistent gender identity (typically of which they’ve been aware for at least 6 months) that does not align with sex recorded at birth who seek treatment, who have capacity to make medical decisions, and in whom potential confounding mental health conditions are addressed.
  • Transgender and gender diverse adolescents with persistent gender identity (typically of which they’ve been aware for at least 6 months) that does not align with sex recorded at birth who seek treatment, who have capacity to make medical decisions, in whom potential confounding mental health conditions are addressed, and who have been evaluated by trained mental health professionals who have expertise in gender incongruence in children/adolescents. Decisions regarding both puberty blockade and hormone therapy in adolescents should made with the input of the qualified mental health professional, the endocrinologist or clinician with experience in hormone therapy/puberty blockade in children, the child, and the family.

Supportive endocrinologists

  • Harry Benjamin
  • Louis Gooren
  • Norman Spack

Gender critical endocrinologists

Resources

The Endocrine Society (endocrine.org)

  • Transgender Health
  • https://www.endocrine.org/advocacy/position-statements/transgender-health

American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (aace.com)