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Why affirming treatment for gender questioning youth matters in SA

Posted in: Child health, Comment, Focus, Healthcare system, Latest, LGBTI, Mental Health, Spotlight

Gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth has sparked intense debate globally. In South Africa, we need to significantly improve accessibility throughout the country, ensure services are well-resourced, include trained healthcare providers skilled in gender affirming care, and offer comprehensive care that integrates mental health and social services, write Jenna-Lee de Beer-Procter and Pierre Brouard, on behalf of fellow board members of the Professional Association for Transgender Health South Africa.

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The Cass Review provides guidance on gender-affirming care: SA’s medical community is now at a crossroads

Posted in: Child health, Comment, Focus, InFocus, Latest, LGBTI, Mental Health

The question as to the best approach to providing care for children and young people with gender dysphoria or gender incongruence is complex, contested, and controversial, both in South Africa and globally. Following the release of a major new report in the United Kingdom, it is clear that a change of course is needed in South Africa, argue doctors Janet Giddy, Allan Donkin, and associate professor Reitze Rodseth.

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OPINION: Part of child protection is allowing kids to be themselves when it comes to gender

Posted in: Child health, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, Latest, Reproductive Health, SRHR

South Africa is currently observing Child Protection Week to shine a spotlight on the rights of children, as enshrined in the Constitution and the Children’s Act. The campaign aims to ensure the rights, safety, and well-being of children – aiming to foster a safer environment. To foster a safe environment, however, children must not only feel physically safe but also emotionally safe. Yet teenagers often do not have a safe space to speak to trusted people about the confusion they face around their gender, writes Kholofelo Mphahlele.

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