Anonymous asked:

About the responsibility of doctors and medical professionals. I saw a now 17-year old in the 'ftm' tag who had had both top surgery and hysto and was now preparing for lower surgery. Legal guardians aside, what kind of doctors perform mastectomy and hysterectomy on a physically healthy 16 year old?? The risks? The permanence? It's easy proclaiming you don't want kids as a teenager, when pregnancy is (mostly) a problem. It just saddened/angered me so.

From what I’ve seen and read, this is not at all uncommon. In fact, it seems it’s becoming so routine that the only question is which surgeon to choose. Most of the FTM blogs I’ve read through seem to assume that full transition is the ultimate goal; it’s only a matter of funding. If the parents of a teenager agree, there is nothing to stop the medical transition process for a minor.

There are definitely some young people who are looking for an alternative to medical transition, but what is on offer? Where are the voices of psychologists or doctors truly working on alternatives? I got a question in my inbox from someone asking for references to such alternatives, but we really need professionals with skill in working with dysphoria who can help.