NordenBladet – Several European countries that previously supported transgender rights are quietly rolling back on their policies. This change is coming at a time when there has been a significant increase in people reporting gender dysphoria, a condition where people feel their assigned gender at birth does not align with their personal identity.
Sweden, for example, known for being a pioneer in LGBTQ rights, started restricting gender-affirming hormone therapy for minors, allowing it only in very rare cases, and limiting mastectomies for teenage girls wanting to transition to a research setting.
This change is a complete reversal of the 2015 Swedish Health Authority’s position that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones were safe. The National Board of Health and Welfare states that the reason for the rollback is that little is known about the long-term effects of these treatments, and the risks outweigh the benefits currently. Experts say that these treatments were designed for exceptional cases, to begin with. Sweden has seen a sharp rise in diagnoses of gender dysphoria* in recent years, with an increase of 1,500% among 13- to 17-year-olds assigned female at birth between 2008 and 2018. However, the reason behind this increase remains largely a “mystery,” according to experts.
Sweden’s change in policy is all the more notable since the country was the first to authorize legal gender transition in 1972, paving the way for sex reassignment surgery to be covered by its universal healthcare system. As the government revisits its policies, some in the transgender community are concerned. The change could mean that these people might need more care and invasive procedures in the future because the medical decision could not be made earlier, even though the need was there.
Several other European countries are also stepping back from gender-affirming care. Finland restricted hormone therapy for minors in 2020, while France called for “the utmost reserve” on hormone treatments for young people. Hungary passed a law in 2020 banning trans or intersex people from legally changing their gender. The UK government blocked the Scottish government’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill in January, which made it easier for people to self-identify as transgender without the need for a medical diagnosis.
Only Spain is bucking the trend, having just passed a controversial law allowing anyone over 16 to freely change their gender on their ID card. Until now, adults in Spain could only request the change with a medical document attesting to gender dysphoria and proving they had undergone hormonal treatment for two years. Minors needed judicial authorization.
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* Dysphoria or dysphoric mood is a mental state in which a person has a profound sense of unease or dissatisfaction. While not a mental health diagnosis on its own, dysphoria is a symptom associated with a variety of mental illnesses, some of which include stress, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.
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