Talk show host John Oliver recently took the time to discuss misinformation about gender-affirming health care. Several Republican states in the United States have banned or placed severe restrictions on gender-affirming care for trans youth.
On “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver addressed trans rights as a major topic of the show for the first time in over half a decade. He clears up some false assumptions about younger trans kids and older teens.
Read on to learn more.
John Oliver Says Young Children Go Through Social Transitions
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On Sunday’s episode of “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” the show’s host talked about the current misinformation surrounding gender-affirming care for transgender teens and highlighted where it’s wrong. As a result of the misinformation being circulated, several republican-led states in the US have placed bans and restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors.
Oliver explained that unlike what most people think, children do not undergo surgery immediately after identifying themselves as trans. He said per Yahoo Online“To hear some people tell it, once a kid declares himself trans, there’s an immediate, irreversible surgical decision, and there isn’t.”
“In younger children, it can mean nothing more than a social transition, such as calling them a new name, or giving them a new haircut or clothes, or giving them psychological or behavioral support. Because, to be very clear, pre-adolescent children are not eligible for medical intervention,” continued the host of the show.
John Oliver Says Puberty Blockers Are Reversible
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Further, Oliver talks about how gender-affirming care works for teens, and unlike what anti-trans people claim, that care is completely reversible. Often, puberty blockers are used for teenagers to hold off the effects of puberty until a time when they can undergo any procedure they choose if they want to.
“At the onset of puberty, a teenager and their family may consider a puberty blocker, a hormone that delays puberty,” explains the show’s host. “And importantly, if the treatment is suspended, then puberty resumes, meaning this is reversible. Think of it as a pause button, something you can’t do easily on the HBO Max app.”
Oliver further explained that the transition was not a decision made with little thought; rather, it is carried out after a long process involving the consent of the patient’s parents or guardians.
He said, “All this will only happen after a team of medical professionals discuss all the benefits with their patients and their parents or guardians, all of whom have to sign off. It’s a long and involved process, even before you get to the fact that it’s also very expensive.”
John Oliver Says Trans People Don’t Have To Fight To Receive The Care They Need
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Towards the end of Sunday’s show, Oliver focused on a lighter point, explaining that allowing trans people to compete in sports alongside their cisgender counterparts could have a huge impact on trans kids.
He explained that they should not have to lobby and fight politicians to be what they want or receive the care they want. The show’s host added that placing a ban could make trans people significantly more unhappy than the rest of the population.
“When supported, trans children can experience full and vibrant lives,” continued Oliver. “Trans people are not by default more unhappy or more vulnerable to suffering than others. That is something we impose on them.”
Republican-Led States Ban Gender-Based Retaining Care For Trans Youth
Although gender-affirming care is supported by some medical groups in the US, some states have placed bans and restrictions to prevent trans youth from accessing this care. Well-known groups such as the American Medical Association, the Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics are just a few of the organizations that provide the procedure.
Arkansas is the first state in the US to ban medical treatment for trans people under legal age. The state, which is comprised of a Republican legislature, voted to override Governor Asa Hutchinson’s veto of House Bill 1570. The bill previously limited access to specific treatments for people under the age of 18.
The new law, however, prohibits doctors from providing gender-confirming hormone therapy as well as puberty blockers and gender confirmation surgery to minors. Doctors are also prohibited from advising patients to visit other health care providers.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
