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Maddie Hopwood

Mr.Smith

Junior ELA

6 November 2023

A Disguised Demise

There is a reason the legal drinking age in America is 21. The purpose of this law is to

prevent the overall deleterious effects alcohol can have on the consumer’s health. Specifically

from underdevelopment in organ function, including brain cognition. If a substance of similar

caliber exists, should it not require the same legality standpoint? Well the same concept

revolving around protecting minors from putting injurious drug substances into their body, is

alarmingly comparable to gender-affirming care remedies, such as cross-sex hormones and

puberty blockers. Therefore, while some may argue that children can consent to receive

gender-affirming care at any age, it is far safer for the overall well-being of the individual to wait

until the adult age of 21, to properly consent and receive gender-affirming care.

It is imperative that gender-affirming care for minors is not provided until the individual

has reached adulthood, to allow for the completion of physical development. Until the age of 21,

the body continues to mature and settle into its permanent composition, including the

development of neurological systems. The control center of the body –the brain– decides all the

actions of the body, that’s why when someone goes brain-dead, they cannot do anything even

though they are still alive (Johns Hopkins Medicine). Henceforth, giving it the title of most

important body part. With the brain being the most critical organ, its proper development is key

to a healthy body, which ultimately leads to a healthy life. But if the brain is not able to complete

its advancement, through an interruption like gender-affirming care, the health of the person is
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majorly at stake because of the interruption to maturing neurological responsibilities. An

interview published by National Public Radio includes their host and neuroscientist Dr. Sandra

Aamodt. Host Cox curiously asks Aamodt “What changes happen between the ages of 18 and,

let's say, 25?” (NPR.org) Aadmot intelligibly notes how “the changes that happen between 18

and 25 are a continuation of the process that starts around puberty, and 18-year-olds are about

halfway through that process. Their prefrontal cortex is not yet fully developed. That's the part of

the brain that helps you to inhibit impulses and to organize your behavior” (NPR.org),

highlighting the time it takes for the brain to fully, and properly develop. Once the brain is

uninterruptedly developed, proper cognitive functions are instilled in the person. Howbeit, this is

not the case when brain development is interrupted. Such interruptions to this development can

include many different substances, but in specific to gender dysphoric adolescents, puberty

blockers are a major problem in youth development. A 2022 publication by the Journal of the

American College of Clinical Pharmacy describes the effect gender-affirming care can have on

consenting youth. Dr. Sarah Jorgensen states how:

Puberty-related hormones have wide-ranging effects on brain structure, function, and

connectivity. Concerns have been raised that hormonal suppression of puberty may

permanently alter neurodevelopment. The possible impact of puberty blockade on a

young person's cognition has important implications… [on] the capacity to give informed

consent” (JACCP).

Jorgensen’s revelation of the effect that blockading puberty hormones has is alarming. While the

urge for gender dysphoric youth to receive gender-affirming care is agreeably challenging, it

emphasizes the perilousness of the current treatment the nation provides for gender dysphoric

children. With the indispensability of the brain, the interruption that gender-affirming puberty
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hormones cause on its development proves it necessary that hormones must not be provided until

adult age or physical development, is reached.

Even though the gender dysphoric youth’s malaise may be disruptive, the future

well-being of the vulnerable individual will flourish if conforming puberty hormones are not

provided until adulthood. The concept of gender dysphoria can be described with the idea that

someone who was born of a certain gender, does not feel like that gender accurately represents

who they are. Furthermore, the individual has the yearning to be of the more conforming gender.

On the subject, this mental illness in youth is complicated because the child is still developing

and decisions are being made with incomplete development of the brain, specifically the

prefrontal cortex whose main role is decision-making (National Institute of Health). Admittedly,

the discomfort gender dysphoria can cause is difficult on the mental well-being of the individual.

But the perceived remedy to the dysphoric reality, in actuality makes the situation far more

arduous. Professional opinions from the American College of Pediatrics illuminate how

gender-affirming care causes “depression and other emotional disturbances related to suicide…

[and] the number one prescribed puberty blocker in America, lists “emotional instability” as a

side effect” (Acpeds.org). Also stating there is no “statistically significant difference in

psychosocial functioning between the group given blockers and the group given only

psychological support” (Acpeds.org) stressing the significant effect puberty blockers have on

mental state, and the insignificant effect they have on curing the illness. This increased mental

instability caused by hormones, proves that not only does gender-affirming care not help, it

makes gender dysphoria worse. In likeness, activist, and detransitioner herself, Chloe Cole

publicly travels providing awareness to people in situations similar to the one she found herself

in. Chloe at the age of twelve, felt uncomfortable in her female body, and determined she needed
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to transition to a man to feel whole, involving the process of gender-affirming therapy such as

receiving cross-sex hormones and the surgical operation: a double mastectomy. Chloe

detranstitioned at the age of 17 and in a recent interaction with Congress, emphasized:

We need to stop telling 12-year-olds that they were born wrong, that they are right to

reject their own bodies and feel uncomfortable with their own skin…We need to stop

telling children that puberty is an option. That they can choose what kind of puberty they

will go through just [like] they can choose what clothes to wear or music to listen to.

(New York Post)

Cole’s message is passionate and complex. She expresses the importance of surrounding adults

to not affirm the decision made by an adolescent whose decision-making skills are undeveloped,

seeing that life-changing anguishes will result. Chloe Cole even expresses how after the

gender-affirming therapy, she found herself in a darker mental state than she was before the

process. In acknowledgance of the malaise some adolescents may experience, Cole encourages

those struggling with gender identity to be patient in their decision making. In spite of gender

dysphoric children’s desires to pursue their perceived euphoric reality immediately, it is

paramount to the well-being of the vulnerable individual to patiently abide the intentions, until

maturity is reached.

Some may be inclined to the opinion that youth people with gender identity disorder

should not desist their intentions and pursue them right away to benefit their wellbeing; in sooth

of that, those questioning transitioning will certainly benefit from not transitioning at early rates

despite the erroneous conjecture made by affirmers. Youth who struggle with gender identity and

seek gender-affirming remedies are unaware of the likelihood that it will truly allay them their

discomfort. Non-affirmers, but more majorly affirmers surrounding said individual, ostensibly
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misinform the gender dysphoric person. The American Psychological Association provides an

example for misinforming folk curious about the effects cross-sex hormones, puberty blockers,

and reproductive reconstruction have on the mental health of transitioning people. An article of

theirs states how gender-affirming care has “a positive relationship with the mental health of

transgender youth and lowers their risk of depression and suicide…Transgender youth who have

access to gender-affirming medical care experience improvements in mental health and often

show mental health comparable to their cisgender peers” (APA.org) which indefinitely is

inaccurate. The information in this article and many others like this, are no more than

presumptions and opinions, where little to no scientific statements can undoubtedly prove true

through studies, statistical findings, or surveys. Stats for Gender is an organization that

specializes in providing concrete facts and studies from a wide-range of contributors, that help

gender dysphoric youth more clearly determine their fate of whether or not they transition once

adulthood is reached. They include numerous professional medical expressions, conducted

findings, and startling statistical revelations. In response to whether or not gender-affirming care

positively affects, or has any effect at all on the mental state of gender dysphoria persons, a

provided article from Stats for Gender illuminates the National Institute of Health’s finding that

“graded certainty of evidence for puberty blocker use as “very low” in every category, including

impact on gender dysphoria, mental health, body image, global functioning, psychosocial

functioning, cognitive functioning, bone density and adverse effects” (Stats for Gender). This

information is accurate for the reason being it was conducted by medical specialists and includes

the exact results of technical findings, whereas supporters of transgender therapy have little

concrete evidence supporting their claims leaving them questionably veracious. The concept that

gender-affirming care will aid the gender dysphoric person’s well-being is inaccurate because
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there is no evidence to back up that claim. Those who support providing gender-affirming care

for consenting minors is deceivingly similar to quenching someone's thirst with poison. The

thirst: the gender dysphoric child’s desire to receive gender affirming care, and the poison: the

gender-affirming care itself. Moreover, being that numerous opposing studies support the fact

gender affirming remedies: puberty blockers and hormones, have essentially no positive effect on

the mental state of the individual, it effectively denies the likelihood of such care remedies to be

beneficial to the recipient, especially one who has yet to reach complete neurological

development.

The argument over whether or not gender-affirming care should be provided for

consenting minors is supported by the fact there is scientific evidence that abstention from

imposed remedies for those with gender dysphoria, will benefit from not partaking in gender

transitioning therapy at an age before physical development. Despite the discomfort the gender

dysphoric child may experience, studies prove they very well may experience more spartanness

by partaking in the reception of cross-sex hormones, puberty blockers, or sexual reassignment

surgery. The overall well-being of the individual– mental and physical– will entirely thrive if the

individual understands the risk-to-reward ratio of receiving gender-affirming care, and uses that

erudition to control their impulses caused by their gender dysphoria. Then once the individual’s

body reaches complete development, especially the brain which is responsible for

decision-making, the life-changing decision can be more effectively and confidently made. A

lesson that can be learned from the national situation of the debate on whether minors should

receive gender-affirming care, can translate to scenarios witnessed in every debate between

groups of people. This idea is how the strong biases presented by either side of an argument–

whether it be supporting or opposing– can prove damaging to the proper understanding of the
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topic because both sides become so passionate about what they are arguing for. Resulting in

falsities and close-mindedness to prevail over verity and complex understanding. Moreover, if

people can set aside their biases and present themselves with an open mind, unheard of

collaborative revelations will undoubtedly be made.

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Works Cited

Arnsten, Amy. “Stress Signalling Pathways That Impair Prefrontal Cortex Structure and

Function.” Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2009,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907136/#:~:text=The%20prefrontal%20cortex

%20(PFC)%20intelligently,brain%20regions%20(BOX%201).

“Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 14 July 2021,

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anatomy-of-the-brain#:~:text=

The%20brain%20is%20a%20complex,process%20that%20regulates%20our%20body.

“Brain Maturity Extends Well beyond Teen Years.” Brain Maturity Extends Well beyond Teenage

Years, NPR, 10 Oct. 2011, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=141164708.

Christenson, Josh. “Detransitioner Tells Congress Her ‘childhood Was Ruined’ by Gender

Reassignment.” New York Post, New York Post, 27 July 2023,

nypost.com/2023/07/27/detransitioner-tells-congress-her-childhood-was-ruined-by-gende

r-reassignment/.

“Detrans: The Dangers of Gender-Affirming Care.” The Dangers of Gender Affirming Care,

PragerU, 25 Oct. 2023, www.prageru.com/video/detrans.

Jorgensen, Sarah J. “Puberty Blockers for Gender Dysphoric Youth.” Open Access Puberty

Blockers for Gender Dysphoric Youth: A Lack of Sound Science,

accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jac5.1691. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

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“Proposed Discussion Points to Oppose Gender-Affirming Care Criminalization Bills.”

American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association,

www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/gender-affirmative-care. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

“Stats For Gender.” There Is Limited Evidence That Medical Transition Leads to Positive

Outcomes , Genspect, 2022, acpeds.org/transgender-interventions-harm-children.

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H Argument Essay Rubric

Skill Not Yet Foundational Proficient Advanced

Identifies a basic claim Appears in first Thesis establishes a

Thesis paragraph complex claim

Thesis establishes a Establishes

topic and a claim counter-argument in
claim

Topic sentences Topic sentences have Topic sentences have

Claims/Reasons contain basic claims clear and distinct clear and distinct
claims that relate to claims that relate to
the thesis the thesis and make
nuanced points that
consider alternate
perspectives or
counterarguments

Uses some brief Uses multiple pieces Uses a variety of

Evidence examples, or one of evidence (personal evidence (see
example, to support experience, anecdotes, previous column) that
each claim; may all be survey, research etc.) supports each claim;
personal experience to support each claim different types of
evidence in each body
paragraph

Use of reliable outside

sources

Brief explanation of Explains how Provides strong

Analysis how evidence evidence supports explanations of how
supports topic topic sentence/claim evidence supports
sentence of individual of individual topic sentence and the
paragraphs paragraphs and the thesis while also
thesis considering
counterarguments
Includes at least 2
concessions in body Seamlessly mentions
paragraphs concession, and offers
response/rebuttal

Counter- Makes some mention Structure Well-structured and

Argument of opposing argument counter-argument effective
which: counter-argument
Mentions the which:
opposing argument, Establishes an aspect
some mention of how of the opposing
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opposing argument argument, clearly and

may be disproven logically disproves the
argument
Some elements missing Heading is correctly No errors in MLA
MLA Format or some errors in MLA formatted format
format
Pages are numbered

In-text citations are

correctly formatted (if
sources are used)

Works Cited format:

hanging indent,
double-spaced,
alphabetized, starts on
a new page (if sources
are used)

Works Cited: each

source entry is in
correct MLA format (if
sources are used)
Shows evidence of Quotes are correctly Quotes are correctly
Conventions basic proofreading integrated most of the integrated
time (if sources are
used) Shows evidence of
careful proofreading
Follows essay
organization (claims in Includes fluid
topic sentence; transitions between
evidence; analysis; ideas
concluding sentences)
Eliminates wordiness
Shows evidence of
proofreading

Utilizes mostly simple Some varied sentence Consistently varied

Fluency sentence structures structures sentence structures

Some use of advanced Advanced use of

vocabulary vocabulary; including
use of active verbs