Endocrine management of transgender and gender diverse adolescents: expert opinion of the ESPE Working Group on Gender Incongruence and the Endo-ERN main thematic group on Sexual Development and Maturation.

Abstract

Increasing numbers of transgender and gender diverse adolescents seek endocrine treatment to align their body to their gender identity. In this relatively young field of medicine, there is a limited body of evidence, and the available evidence generally is of low quality. However, in the absence of randomised trials, much can be learned from prospective observational studies. While evidence on somatic and psychosocial outcomes has increased in recent years, areas with little or no research rely on expert opinion. In order to reduce practice variation in paediatric endocrine care for transgender adolescents, we describe endocrine care for transgender and gender diverse adolescents in Europe in this statement, based on the available evidence as well as the experience of experts from the ESPE Working Group on Gender Incongruence and from the European Reference Network Endo-ERN, main thematic group 'Sexual Development and Maturation'. This document aims to provide practical information and tools for clinical care, with sections on the multidisciplinary team, counseling, fertility, hormone suppression, gender affirming hormone treatment, support for non-binary adolescents, long-term follow up and transition of care, altered treatment wishes, lifestyle and sexual health, and in addition includes a paragraph on ethical considerations regarding this care.