Do some psychologists diagnose prematurely so they can sell their drugs in a self serving manner? Of course some do, that's their business. I imagine the hormone drugs are also big business and with big business comes some sort of corruption whether there's a cash incentive for the psychiatrist to prescribe the drug or a discount on the orders.
So I guess I would be asking for assurance that these psychiatrists in particular are not in a private practice. They are under a gigantic microscope by higher ups to ensure their diagnosis isn't influenced by any outside financial factors by the drug companies.
Not speaking exactly about your issue, but my health insurance doesn't cover any of the costs of my hormones.
The vast majority of health insurance providers don't cover trans* health care of
*any* kind.
For what it's worth, hormones aren't really big business because there simply aren't a whole lot of trans* people. There's no volume in it, and the medications I take have cheap generics available (which is a god-send -- and do remember that Big Pharma hates cheap generics.) A lot of trans* people, in fact, order hormones off the internet from scary offshore places just because of the failures of health care here to provide adequate care for them. There is, simply, no secret conspiracy to get people hooked on hormones.
Besides, they wouldn't give hormones to someone (Coy, here) who isn't even in puberty yet. Puberty blockers simply don't do anything for someone her age.
Your mistake is in saying that it is a choice. It is not a choice. And in any case, the child can still change his mind by the time he or she reaches puberty. Like Devolution and many others have said, going through transitioning is not something parents can just do without teh help of medical professionals, i.e. people who have much more knowledge in the field and people who know their research well enough to judge and decide whether a child is transgendered. If a child is transgendered, waiting would only caused him or her more harm.
Gender has nothing to do with puberty. Children aren't non gendered bodies and people don't start possessing genders only when they reach puberty.
I really like this post. No, it's not a choice, and, even if it were a choice (if gender were fluid to some extent), that's *STILL OK*. She can decide that she's a girl, or, some day decide otherwise. It's entirely up to her. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!
I am open to this, I just can't accept the fact a little kid can make a choice before he even hits puberty. What if this little kid just really loves his mom, wants to be like his mom because he looks up to her? Mom looks pretty in her dresses, mom looks pretty when she changes her hair color. I want to do that.. I want to wear dresses. I just feel... its a big mistake at that age. THey should wait.
I will assume that this is in good faith; but I will ask: "
Why is it a big mistake?" What harm do you think will come to her because of the decisions she's made so far? I'm genuinely curious why you think this is a mistake for her.
And certainly, outwardly she appears happier for it. Keep in mind that there haven't been any irreversible changes done to her at this point.