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How a landmark UK court case could upend transgender Australian teens’ lives
A landmark court case in the United Kingdom has the potential to change the way doctors prescribe hormonal treatment to transgender children in Australia, with at least one state already reviewing its policy.
Other Australian jurisdictions are keeping a close eye on the case and haven’t ruled out changing their procedures as a result.
Last year, England’s High Court ruled children under the age of 16 couldn’t fully understand the consequences of their decisions and, as such, were unlikely to be able to give informed consent to treatment with puberty blockers.
Judges also concluded that even for 16 and 17-year-olds, given the long-term consequences of hormonal treatment and its innovative and experimental nature, doctors may want court authorisation before starting it.
The ruling came after Keira Bell, a 23-year-old woman from Cambridge who transitioned from female to male at 16 and later regretted her decision and transitioned back to being a woman, sued a National Health Service clinic.
Ms Bell claimed the gender service she was referred to should have challenged her wishes more extensively before starting treatment.
She testified it was only recently she had started thinking about having children and whether that was even a possibility as a result of the treatment she had received.
“I have to live with the fact that I will not be able to breastfeed my children,” she said, referring to her double mastectomy at age 20.
Since the ruling, Western Australia’s child and adolescent Gender Diversity Service, which receives an average of four to five referrals a week, has quietly started a review of its policies in a bid to reduce its liability in the event a patient, like Ms Bell, decides to sue them in the future.
Gender services in Victoria and the ACT are also keeping a close eye on
developments in the UK and haven’t ruled out making changes to their
policies.Read the full article here: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/how-a-landmark-uk-court-case-could-upend-transgender-australian-teens-lives-20210722-p58bzf.html
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1 Reply
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The UK has one of the most messed up and regressive range of Trans policies in the world. From the government through a range of health services (or lack of) there is a pervading anti Trans rhetoric which is being fuelled by far right Christian groups and wealthy media owners. I for one hope Australia isn’t Looking to the UK for guidance on Trans policy or we are all screwed.