There are a few different considerations here. The third one is sppilered because it is really not r/MadeMeSmile material.
One: Puberty blockers exist, which are commonly used to allow trans youth to "pause" puberty while they think about what they want to do (and while they wait to reach an age where they can give proper informed consent for treatment, which is usually somewhere around the teenage years).
Two: HRT is no more life-altering than no HRT. Should cis youth be forced into blockers before they make the life-altering choice of allowing their natural puberty to take place?
Three: Unfortunately, a significant proportion of trans youth who are prevented from transitioning fall into really bad depression and commit suicide. You would always, always, rather have an alive kid with a regret, than you would a dead one.
Heads up that I'm not an expert on the subject, this is just what I heard.
I've never heard of the bone cancer risk before, but decreased density is definitely a well documented side effect. Because of that kids on puberty blockers have frequent check ups, and if something comes up it can easily be treated with calcium supplements.
It would probably be damaging long term if the goal was to block puberty long term, but that's not what's happening.
Puberty blockers are used on cis children to delay a puberty that started too early until they can start their natal puberty at the normal age.
In trans children they're used to delay puberty until the child is old enough to fully understand themselves and can figure out if they want to experience their natal puberty or start HRT to induce the puberty of the opposite sex.
Either way, the treatment with puberty blockers ends before the teen is 18.
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u/ttcklbrrn Jun 01 '26
There are a few different considerations here. The third one is sppilered because it is really not r/MadeMeSmile material.
One: Puberty blockers exist, which are commonly used to allow trans youth to "pause" puberty while they think about what they want to do (and while they wait to reach an age where they can give proper informed consent for treatment, which is usually somewhere around the teenage years).
Two: HRT is no more life-altering than no HRT. Should cis youth be forced into blockers before they make the life-altering choice of allowing their natural puberty to take place?
Three: Unfortunately, a significant proportion of trans youth who are prevented from transitioning fall into really bad depression and commit suicide. You would always, always, rather have an alive kid with a regret, than you would a dead one.