Many territories conclude that gender identity isn’t something one can be certain of until they reach a certain age. With this in mind, a report reveals the countries offering the most equal opportunities for transgender hormone therapy.
This recent study – the Global Health Inequalities Report by experts at Radar Healthcare – reveals that as many as 0.005–0.014% of those who were assigned male at birth, and 0.002–0.003% of those who were assigned female at birth across the globe felt some form of gender dysphoria. This refers to feeling uncomfortable with the physical attributes of the sex you were assigned at birth, and the subsequent gender that society identifies you as.
The severity of gender dysphoria could potentially increase as a child gets older, as their body continues to veer in a direction that they do not feel is right e.g., when one begins to develop breasts, start their periods, or grow facial hair.
Due to this, it is important that children, after undergoing the necessary psychiatric tests and screenings, are allowed to follow the path towards who they truly are – accompanied by the appropriate hormone treatments.
With this in mind, the Global Health Inequalities Report reveals the countries offering the most equal opportunities for transgender hormone therapy.
Which countries offer hormone treatments to transgender patients the youngest?
Countries leading the way for access to transgender hormone treatment for young individuals are Canada and New Zealand, who both allow young residents to undergo hormone therapy from the age of 14.
Slovenia and Denmark emerged in joint second place, offering hormone treatment to transgender individuals from the age of 15.
The US, Norway, Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Australia, Switzerland, Poland, Malta, and Liechtenstein are in third place with hormone treatment allowed from 16.
In the UK, the required age varies according to nation, with treatment allowed to start from 16 in Scotland, 17 in England, 18 in Wales, and 15 in Northern Ireland.
In Luxembourg and Germany, the age one can begin hormone treatment depends on the maturity of the individual. In Germany, this means that if the individual has undertaken the correct amount of therapy and has an ‘indication letter’, they can undergo HRT (hormone replacement therapy) under public health insurance.
The Health Inequalities Report is available HERE.
