Five women are taking legal action over their transgender medical treatments
Alarming Lawsuits Expose Dangers of Transgender Medicalization for Children
Every day, critics are sounding the alarm more and more about the dangers of pushing children into transgender medicalization.
Now, doctors who dole out puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and double mastectomies to children and teens are facing a slew of lawsuits from detransitioners, young people who previously identified as transgender.
The first such lawsuit in the U.S. came from Chloe Cole, one of the most prominent detransitioners, who sued Kaiser Hospitals in February.
Cole was put on puberty blockers at 12, cross-sex hormones at 13, and had her breasts surgically removed at 15. Now 19, Cole has said her transgender medicalization was part of “one of the biggest medical scandals” in American history. Among the damage, Cole’s voice is permanently lowered, and her fertility status is unknown.
“I was fifteen when you cut into my body, ripped out my breasts and stitched me back up like I was your rag doll,” Cole said in February. “You are on the wrong side of history and will always be remembered as child butchers.”
Another detransitioner, Prisha Mosley, 25, sued her North Carolina doctors in July over her transgender medical treatments.
Mosley was put on testosterone at 17 and had her breasts surgically removed the next year. She says her doctors “lied” and told her testosterone would make her “grow a penis.”
Over the years, Mosley suffered from anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and an eating disorder, according to her lawsuit. At 14, she also suffered a sexual assault by an older male, which resulted in a miscarried pregnancy. At 15, she was hospitalized for a week for depression.
Nevertheless, Mosley’s doctors started her on transgender treatments that did not solve her mental health issues but left her with a lower voice, extra body hair, a damaged vagina, and an unknown fertility status, her lawsuit says.
Another lawsuit comes from Soren Aldaco, a 21-year-old detransitioner, who filed a $1 million “gross malpractice” lawsuit against her Texas doctors in July.
Aldaco, who is autistic, was hospitalized with a manic episode at 15. At the hospital, she was “coerced” into saying she was transgender, her lawsuit says. At 17, she was prescribed an “outrageously large” dose of testosterone, and at 19, she was pressured into a botched double mastectomy with “horrible post-surgical complications” that left her “permanent physical disfigurement,” the suit says.
Isabelle Ayala, 20, is suing both her doctors and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) over her gender transition. She is the first to target the AAP specifically.
At 14, Ayala was convinced by doctors to go on cross-sex hormones. At the time, she was suffering with suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety. Six months after starting testosterone, she attempted suicide. Nevertheless, she was kept on cross-sex hormones afterwards.
Now, Ayala suffers from vaginal atrophy, excess facial and body hair, a compromised bone structure, and unknown fertility. She still suffers episodes of anxiety and depression, and she “longs for what could have been and to have her healthy, female body back,” her lawsuit says.
Kayla Lovdahl, 18, also sued Kaiser Hospitals in June for her transgender medical transition.
Lovdahl discovered the concept of transgenderism online at age 11 and was put on both puberty blockers and testosterone at age 12. Just six months later at 13, she had her breasts surgically removed.
Her doctors told her parents that, “it’s better to have a live son than a dead daughter,” her lawsuit alleges. However, by 17, Lovdahl regretted her transgender medicalization.
Both puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones come with serious health risks. Puberty blockers can affect bone growth and density and cause sexual dysfunction, voice damage, and infertility among other issues. Cross-sex hormones can cause infertility, deadly blood clots, heart attacks, increased cancer risks of the breasts and ovaries, liver dysfunction, worsening psychological illness, and other serious conditions.
The number of gender surgeries nearly tripled in the U.S. from 2016 to 2019, according to an analysis published in August in JAMA Network Open. In 2016, there were about 4,550 procedures, and that number spiked to around 13,000 in 2019.
Hundreds of teen girls in the U.S., some as young as 12, have gotten elective, gender-related double mastectomies to remove their healthy breasts over the last few years.
Meanwhile, it is more popular than ever for youth to adopt new gender identities. An estimated
What alternative therapeutic options are available to support young individuals with gender dysphoria without resorting to drastic medical interventions
Important to start her medical transition as early as possible to prevent her from experiencing distress during puberty.” However, Lovdahl now regrets her decision and believes that she was misinformed about the long-term effects and risks of transgender medicalization.
These lawsuits shed light on the dangerous consequences of transgender medicalization for children and teenagers. These individuals were led to believe that transitioning would solve their mental health issues and bring them happiness, only to experience irreversible physical changes and ongoing emotional struggles.
While it is necessary to support individuals who genuinely experience gender dysphoria, it is imperative to approach transgender medicalization with caution. Children and teenagers are still developing mentally and physically, and their ability to fully comprehend the long-term consequences of these medical interventions may be limited.
Furthermore, the medical community must prioritize thorough and accurate information when discussing the risks and benefits of transgender medical treatments with young patients. It is crucial to ensure that individuals are fully informed and have a comprehensive understanding of the potential physical and psychological impacts of these interventions.
These lawsuits also highlight the need for more rigorous oversight and regulation of transgender medicalization for children. Medical professionals must be held accountable for providing appropriate care and ensuring that individuals are making fully informed decisions about their bodies and futures.
It is crucial that the medical community continues to improve its understanding and treatment of gender dysphoria in children and teenagers. This includes exploring alternative therapeutic options that focus on supporting young individuals in their psychological well-being without resorting to drastic medical interventions.
Ultimately, the alarming lawsuits facing doctors who have prescribed puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and performed surgical procedures on young individuals expose the urgent need to reevaluate the approach to transgender medicalization for children and teenagers. The well-being and futures of these vulnerable individuals should be at the forefront of any decision-making process, and it is the responsibility of the medical community to ensure that they are provided with the best and safest care possible.
As more detransitioners step forward to share their experiences and the legal battles unfold, it becomes increasingly evident that the current approach to transgender medicalization for children is fraught with significant dangers. It is high time for a critical examination of these practices and a prioritization of the well-being and rights of these young individuals.
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