On Thursday, the National Health Service in England announced that the country’s only youth gender clinic was shutting down, in order to upgrade medical services to youth seeking gender therapy.
Since the 1990s, the Tavistock Clinic in London has helped thousands of young transgender patients. Before the clinic’s closure, there will be an external review. So far, reviewers have pointed out a few concerns; some of these are long wait times, insufficient mental-health support, and the surging number of young people who are looking for gender treatments.
There have been recent significant changes in medical practice in some European countries with national healthcare systems. In the United States, doctors who specialize in gender care for adolescents have varied opinions about the improvements in Europe. On the one hand, many U.S. doctors agree that health care specifically aimed at transgender youth is necessary. But on the other hand, doctors here worry that the changes in Europe will fuel a growing political movement in some states to completely ban health care for transgender youth.
“How do we draw the line so that we keep care individualized while maintaining safety standards for everyone? That’s what we’re trying to sort out,” said Dr. Marci Bowers, a gynecologic and reconstructive surgeon and the incoming president of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, who is transgender herself. “It’s the people on the ground who need.”
The N.H.S. said Tavistock Clinic will not close immediately, and that current patients can continue to receive care there before transferring to two new hubs at children’s hospitals in London and Manchester.
Since the 1990s, the Tavistock Clinic in London has helped thousands of young transgender patients. Before the clinic’s closure, there will be an external review. So far, reviewers have pointed out a few concerns; some of these are long wait times, insufficient mental-health support, and the surging number of young people who are looking for gender treatments.
There have been recent significant changes in medical practice in some European countries with national healthcare systems. In the United States, doctors who specialize in gender care for adolescents have varied opinions about the improvements in Europe. On the one hand, many U.S. doctors agree that health care specifically aimed at transgender youth is necessary. But on the other hand, doctors here worry that the changes in Europe will fuel a growing political movement in some states to completely ban health care for transgender youth.
“How do we draw the line so that we keep care individualized while maintaining safety standards for everyone? That’s what we’re trying to sort out,” said Dr. Marci Bowers, a gynecologic and reconstructive surgeon and the incoming president of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, who is transgender herself. “It’s the people on the ground who need.”
The N.H.S. said Tavistock Clinic will not close immediately, and that current patients can continue to receive care there before transferring to two new hubs at children’s hospitals in London and Manchester.
