Should hormone therapy be offered to adolescents who identify as a different gender?
Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words. (2021). In Dictionary.com.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/intersex
This dictionary definition clarifies the meaning of “intersex” as having biological
characteristics intermediate between typical male and female traits. Intersex conditions have
historically been one driving factor behind the development of gender-affirming medical
procedures. Understanding this term and its relation to gender affirmation is an essential context
for the topic.
Morandini, J. S., Kelly, A., de Graaf, N. M., Malouf, P., Guerin, E., Dar-Nimrod, I., & Carmichael,
P. (2023). Is Social Gender Transition Associated with Mental Health Status in Children
and Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria? Archives of Sexual Behavior, 52(3), 1045–1060.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02588-5
This peer-reviewed journal article examines the relationship between socially transitioning
gender and mental health outcomes in gender dysphoric youth. The authors used binomial logistic
regression models to assess whether living in one’s affirmed gender, birth-assigned gender, and
age-predicted mood disorders, anxiety, or past suicide attempts. They found that older patients
were more likely to report mood issues and past suicide attempts, but living in an affirmed gender
role or birth-assigned gender did not significantly impact mental health. This suggests that social
transition may not inherently improve or worsen mental health for gender dysphoric youth. The
study had a large sample size across multiple clinics, lending significance to the findings.
2
Rosenthal, G. S. (n.d.). Gender-affirming care has a long history in the U.S. — and not just for
transgender people. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/gender-affirming-
care-has-a-long-history-in-the-us-and-not-just-for-transgender-people-201752
This article from The Conversation provides historical context on gender-affirming
medical care in the United States, which has been practiced since at least the 1960s. The author
notes that the first university-based gender identity clinic opened at Johns Hopkins in 1966. While
some politicians characterize such care as new or experimental, it has decades of precedent. The
article cites the example of Dr. Milton Edgerton helping the first known American man undergo
gender transition through surgery in 1976. It also discusses how gender-affirming interventions
like hormones and surgery have been used to treat intersex conditions since the 1940s. This source
helps us understand the origins and longevity of gender-affirming practices.
In summary, this annotated bibliography provides an overview of recent research findings
on the mental health impacts of gender transition for adolescents, the long historical precedent of
gender-affirming care in the U.S., and clarification of the intersex condition, which has intersected
with gender-affirmation practices. These sources lay a factual groundwork for understanding
adolescent hormone therapy and its clinical uses related to gender identity and expression.
3
References
Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words. (2021). In Dictionary.com.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/intersex
Morandini, J. S., Kelly, A., de Graaf, N. M., Malouf, P., Guerin, E., Dar-Nimrod, I., &
Carmichael, P. (2023). Is Social Gender Transition Associated with Mental Health Status
in Children and Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria? Archives of Sexual Behavior,
52(3), 1045–1060. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02588-5
Rosenthal, G. S. (n.d.). Gender-affirming care has a long history in the U.S. — and not just for
transgender people. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/gender-affirming-
