How long should it take to counsel a young person regarding an irreversible, life-changing decision? I’m guessing your answer is probably “longer than 30 minutes.” And yet the abortion giant Planned Parenthood is reportedly handing out cross-sex hormones (with irreversible side effects!) to teenagers with a consultation as short as a mere half-hour.
Yes, according to a recent article, teenagers (including teenagers on the autism spectrum) are being prescribed cross-sex hormones with an appointment as short as a mere 30 minutes so that young person can begin their medical transition—a transition that will leave them sterile and will have long-lasting, serious side effects. And it’s not just Planned Parenthood practicing this kind of “care”!
Reportedly,
This growth has come as pediatric gender clinics, which used to wait months before prescribing hormones, are becoming more laissez-faire themselves. Some now prescribe hormones on the first visit, a Reuters investigation found last year, while others say ballooning caseloads have made it harder to conduct the kind of in-depth assessments once standard in the field.
As the social contagion that is transgenderism spreads among young people (particularly young teenage girls), wait times at pediatric gender clinics have soared. And many young people are skipping the wait line (and the counseling and evaluation) by going to their local Planned Parenthood for testosterone or estrogen. And even some of those who agree with transgender ideology are alarmed!
For example, the co-founder of America’s first pediatric gender clinic (which opened a mere 16 years ago), says she has “always been a very strong supporter of Planned Parenthood,” but that “they have taken on something that they are not equipped to handle.” And yet, despite that, Planned Parenthood is apparently one of the largest providers of cross-sex hormones here in the US. And the numbers just keep climbing.
Affiliates in the greater Portland area saw a nearly 400 percent increase in “gender-affirming care visits” between 2021 and 2022, according to their annual reports, while those in Ohio saw a 544 percent increase over the same period. Hormones now appear to be in higher demand than abortion at some branches: A Planned Parenthood in Knoxville, Tenn., told NPR that nearly a fifth of its patients sought hormone therapy in 2021, whereas abortion makes up just 3 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services nationally.
Yes, the transgender craze is lucrative, and those who have no respect for human life, like Planned Parenthood, have no problem profiting off it.
And it’s not just the drugs themselves that are dangerous—the process of quickly prescribing them is also dangerous.
The lack of standardization extends to lab work—used to determine what dosing regimen will be safe for a given individual—which varies by clinic and in some cases does not include a blood draw. Hormone therapy can affect kidney function, potassium levels, and red blood cell counts . . . so people with higher baselines may need lower doses to avoid blood clots and other conditions.
It’s a mess driven by an agenda and the massive amounts of money that are being made off transgender madness. And, tragically, it’s impressionable, hurting children and teens who are left broken and harmed in its wake, with their bodies marred for the rest of their lives by drugs and surgeries.
As Christians, we need to continue calling attention to the danger of transgender ideology, but we can’t stop there—young people are hurting and looking for some sort of identity they can cling to. What they need is Christ!
As AiG’s Avery Foley shared in an article, “Transgender Solution Comparison: Surgery vs. the Gospel,”
As we seek to help those dealing with gender dysphoria, we must point them to the age-old truth of God’s Word and the completed work of Christ on the cross that gives us a new identity that’s grounded, not in how we feel or how we struggle, but grounded in Christ, his never-changing love for his children, and his design for us as male and female, both made in his image and justified by his grace. Praise the Lord that we as believers have the message that will help all those struggling with identity and who are being tempted and encouraged down a sinful path. As always, the answer is the gospel.
