Introduction: A Health Conversation, Not a Political One
At Ital Is Vital, we emphasize alignment with natural biological systems. The human body is an intelligent, self-regulating organism. When major hormonal pathways are interrupted or altered, consequences follow.
The rapid rise in medical gender transition among adolescents raises serious health and ethical questions. Increasing numbers of young people are undergoing puberty suppression, cross-sex hormone therapy, and even surgery before full neurological maturity.
This article approaches the topic from a biological and holistic health standpoint – not from hostility, but from caution.
Biological Sex and the Limits of Medical Intervention
Biological sex is established at conception through chromosomal structure (XX or XY). This framework governs:
- Endocrine function
- Reproductive anatomy
- Bone density patterns
- Herbs for Heart Health profiles
- Drug metabolism
Medical transition alters secondary sex characteristics through hormone administration and surgery. However, chromosomal sex remains unchanged.
Even the Endocrine Society acknowledges that hormone therapy induces physiological changes but does not alter genetic sex.
From a holistic perspective, this distinction matters. Suppressing natural endocrine signaling is not neutral – it reshapes the body’s regulatory systems.
Puberty Blockers: Disrupting a Critical Developmental Window
Puberty is a complex neuroendocrine process involving:
- Brain maturation
- Bone mineralisation
- Sexual organ development
- Emotional regulation circuitry
Puberty blockers (GnRH agonists) interrupt this cascade.
While often described as “reversible,” evidence reviews – including those commissioned by the National Health Service – have classified supporting data as low certainty.
The 2024 Cass Review in the UK further questioned whether the evidence base justifies routine medicalisation of minors.
Holistically speaking, puberty is not a cosmetic inconvenience – it is a biological blueprint phase.
Cross-Sex Hormones and Systemic Health Risks
Cross-sex hormone therapy involves administering testosterone to females or estrogen to males in patterns not aligned with their biological sex.
Documented risks include:
- Increased thromboembolism risk (estrogen therapy)
- Elevated red blood cell count (testosterone therapy)
- Fertility impairment
- Sexual function changes
- Cardiovascular risk alterations
A Dutch cohort study (Wiepjes et al., 2018) published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology found higher overall mortality in transgender adults receiving long-term hormone therapy compared to the general population. While causation remains debated, the signal warrants caution.
From a natural health lens, long-term hormone dependence represents permanent endocrine override.
Surgical Intervention: Irreversibility and Organ Removal
Procedures such as mastectomy, hysterectomy, vaginoplasty, and phalloplasty remove or reconstruct healthy organs.
Complications reported in surgical literature include:
- Infection
- Loss of sexual sensation
- Need for revision surgery
- Lifelong dilation (post-vaginoplasty)
Once reproductive organs are removed, endogenous hormone production is permanently altered. Lifelong pharmaceutical support becomes necessary.
This raises a profound ethical question:
Should healthy organs be removed in adolescents without decades-long outcome data?
The Rise of Detransition Stories
Increasing numbers of young adults are publicly sharing regret after transitioning during adolescence.
A 2021 study in Archives of Sexual Behavior (Littman) documented individuals who detransitioned, citing:
- Insufficient psychological evaluation
- Unaddressed trauma
- Social influence
- Medical complications
While regret rates are debated, the existence of irreversible regret in minors demands scrutiny.
In medicine, even small rates of permanent harm to youth justify caution.
Adolescent Brain Development and Consent
Neuroscience consistently shows that executive function and long-term consequence assessment continue developing into the mid-20s.
Can a 14-year-old fully grasp:
- Permanent infertility?
- Lifelong hormone dependency?
- Sexual function alteration?
- Irreversible surgical change?
Holistic medicine traditionally prioritises preservation before alteration.
International Shifts in Policy
Several European countries have revised youth gender transition protocols:
- Sweden now restricts routine hormone use in minors outside research settings.
- Finland prioritises psychotherapy as first-line care.
- The UK’s Cass Review calls for significantly more caution.
These developments indicate that global medical consensus is evolving – not settled.
A Holistic Health Perspective
At Ital Is Vital, we emphasise:
- Supporting mental health without rushing to irreversible intervention
- Respecting biological design
- Strengthening family and community support
- Addressing trauma and identity distress through counseling first
Distress is real. Compassion is essential.
But irreversible medicalisation should not be the first or default pathway for adolescents still undergoing neurological development.
Conclusion: Medicine Must Be Guided by Evidence, Not Momentum
This is not a call for hostility toward individuals experiencing gender dysphoria.
It is a call for:
- Rigorous long-term data
- Stronger psychological screening
- Transparent informed consent
- Protection of minors
- Medical humility
The human endocrine system is intricate and foundational. Altering it permanently in adolescence should require the highest evidentiary standards.
Young people deserve support, not haste.
Suggested References
You can format these in APA style on your website:
- Wiepjes, C. M., et al. (2018). Mortality trends in transgender people receiving hormone treatment. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
- Cass, H. (2024). Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People. UK.
- National Health Service England (2020). Evidence Review: Puberty Blockers for Gender Dysphoria.
- Littman, L. (2021). Individuals treated for gender dysphoria who later detransitioned. Archives of Sexual Behavior.
- Heneghan, C., et al. (2020). Evidence for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in children. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.
- Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guidelines (2017, updated).
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