Endocrinological Approach to Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria: Experience of a Pediatric Endocrinology Department in a Tertiary Center in Turkey

Objective

A significant rise in the number of trans adolescents seeking medical interventions has been reported in recent years. The aim of this study was to report the clinical features, treatment, and follow-up of adolescents with gender dysphoria (GD) with our increased experience.

Methods

Twenty-six male-to-female (MTF) and twenty-seven female-to-male (FTM) adolescents who were referred to the GD-outpatient clinic between 2016 and 2022 were reviewed. The clinical and laboratory findings of thirty transgender adolescents (15 FTM /15 MTF) who received medical intervention were evaluated retrospectively.

Results

Most individuals (60.4%) were admitted between 2020 and 2022, and the remaining (39.6%) were admitted between 2016 and 2019. At the time of referral, median age was 16.3 years [interquartile range (IQR) 1.53; range 13.2-19.4] in 26 MTF, and 16.4 years (IQR 1.74; range 11.7-21.6) in 27 FTM adolescents. The median age at pubertal blockage with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog and androgen receptor blocker was 16.4 years (IQR 1.4; range 11.7-17.8) in 22 adolescents (9 MTF, 13 FTM), and 17.4 years (IQR 1.4; range 15.5-19.4) in 6 MTF individuals, respectively. Cross-sex hormone therapy was commenced in 21 adolescents (12 MTF, 9 FTM) at the median age of 17.7 years (IQR 0.61; range 16-19.5). Fifteen individuals (8 MTF, 7 FTM) have been transferred to the adult endocrinology department in transition clinics.

Conclusion

All treatments were generally well tolerated and effective, including bicalutamide, and no significant side effects were observed. Transition clinics played an important role in the better management of gender reassignment processes.

Clinical Follow-up of Two Adolescents Diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria

Rapid physical, psychological and sexual changes in adolescents due to the developmental process differentiate the approach to adolescents with gender dysphoria (GD) from the approach to adults. In this article, two adolescents who applied for GD and followed up for a long time are presented. The first case was assigned male at birth and defined herself as female. At the age of fifteen, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog was started for puberty suppression, and sex hormone was started in the follow-up. The second case's assigned sex was female and defined himself as male. At the age of sixteen years and six months, puberty suppressive treatment was started, followed by sex hormones. Both cases were able to continue their psychosocial development without any problems after the psychiatric and physical treatments they could reach on time. Although GD in adolescents cannot be resolved with puberty suppression alone, it creates time to resolve the acute problems and to search for appropriate treatment approaches in the future. Puberty suppression partially relieves and prevents the exacerbation of the dysphoria experienced by the youth diagnosed as GD, and creates time to search appropriate treatment approaches in the follow-up. Through these two cases, it is aimed to introduce the gender affirmation processes of adolescents with GD, to discuss the medical interventions in adolescence and the psychosocial effects of the process on individuals. Keywords: Gender dysphoria, gender incongruence, adolescence, gender affirmation process, puberty supression, puberty blockers.