By Nathan Shurts (he/she), 17, Staff Writer
November 15, 2023
Have you heard about Transgender Awareness Week? The week leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20)—a day set aside to honor trans lives lost to violence—is a time to increase visibility and awareness of trans people, as well as celebrate pride and transgender advocacy.
Unfortunately, progress has been slow at times. One major area that has come under attack is gender-affirming care, which remains limited or banned in parts of the U.S. When it comes to transgender awareness, learning about gender-affirming care is a good start. For starters, it includes services that support teenagers both physically and emotionally in aligning with their gender identity.
In honor of Trans Awareness Week, I’m going to take a look at why gender-affirming care is so important for trans people.
So what is gender affirming care?
You may be asking, what exactly? is gender affirming care? Well, it covers a wide variety of medical and therapeutic services intended to support physical, mental and emotional health. The American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association both support age-appropriate, evidence-based, gender-affirming care in consultation with professionals.
Essentially, it helps transgender people—who identify as a different gender than the one they were assigned at birth—feel comfortable in their own skin. This can be critical to their well-being. “Everyone deserves to feel comfortable when they look in the mirror,” says Ajay(she), 17, of Columbus, OH. “At the very least, everyone deserves to not hate the body they’re in.”
Unfortunately, many of these treatments have come under fire in recent years, even being banned in much of the U.S. “Three in ten transgender youth ages 13-17 live in states that have passed bans on gender-affirming care,” according to with Human. Campaign for rights.
Combating Gender Dysphoria
The negative effects of limiting gender-affirming care are significant. Transgender teens often suffer from gender dysphoria—where there is a disconnect between the gender they were assigned at birth and what they feel is their true gender—to the extent that they may begin to experience depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
Gender-affirming care is medical treatment, and denying treatment to anyone based on their gender identity is a violation of their human rights. “Gender-affirming care can be the difference between life and death, especially for people who come from unsupportive households or families,” says Katie (she), 19, of Boston. “It is imperative that transgender youth have an outlet for relief.”
A must for me
Transgender teens really benefit from gender-affirming care in different ways. “I went on testosterone therapy at 17 and had a bilateral mastectomy at 19,” says Matt (he/she), 19, of Buffalo, NY. Matt explains specifically how these interventions helped him. “Taking testosterone was essential for me to feel comfortable in my own skin, and it also allowed me to finish my senior year of high school without being harassed by other students since I graduated as a cisgender male,” he says. “During the first two years of high school without it, I was only able to socially transition and I really struggled. Top surgery made a huge difference to my confidence and allowed me to not be limited by wearing braces every day. If I didn’t receive that care, I wouldn’t be here today and I wouldn’t be able to succeed in any of the areas of my life that I thrive in today.”
These sentiments are echoed by other transgender youth. “Gender-affirming care makes me feel like there’s hope for me in the world,” says Bina (she/them), 20, of Brooklyn, New York. “Without the care I have received, I doubt I would have made it through my teenage years. Medical intervention was vital to enable me to build a life worth living.”
Become an ally
Transgender Awareness Week is a time for reflection. We’ve made some progress in protecting the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ people, but we still have a long way to go, and gender-affirming care for transgender teens is essential.
How can you celebrate Trans Awareness Week? Even if you don’t identify as transgender, become an ally. Support people you know who are going through or considering gender-affirming care, and continue to educate yourself about the issues so you can stay informed. Spread awareness about what gender-affirming care really is and don’t let misinformation hurt the people you care about.
Don’t just be aware, be an advocate!
