Teenage surgery without parent's consent

[Jesster]

This is definitely a tricky subject. One one hand, it's far too common for parents of a transgender person to be entirely against providing their child with what's necessary. On the other hand, it's out of the question for a non-adult to make adult decisions. The most black-and-white answer I can provide is that, yes, they should wait until they are an adult to make that level of decision. Luckily, hormone treatment can help a lot up until that point... which is also blocked by far too many parents who do not want to understand. That's probably what needs to be addressed more immediately.

I also think there may be some merit to Bella's point.

[Catholic_Lady]

To add to that, I agree with Bella's point. When we say "minor" what do we mean? Under 21, under 18, under 16? I think at age 16 you're pretty independent and should be able to make your own choices about your body.

I'm pretty sure it's 18.

[account_inactive]

[..]
As an adult go right ahead. But not as a child. Not without your parents' consent and a mandatory psychological evaluation ideally.

[Emphasis mine]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Leelah_Alcorn

According to her suicide note, Alcorn had felt "like a girl trapped in a boy's body" since she was four, and came to identify as a transgender girl from the age of fourteen, when she became aware of the term. According to her note, she immediately informed her mother, who reacted "extremely negatively" by claiming that it was only a phase and that God had made her a male, so she could never be a woman. She stated that this made her hate herself, and that she developed a form of depression. Her mother sent her to Christian conversion therapists, but there "only got more Christians telling me that I was selfish and wrong and that I should look to God for help." Aged sixteen, she requested that she be allowed to undergo transition treatment, but was denied permission: "I felt hopeless, that I was just going to look like a man in drag for the rest of my life. On my 16th birthday, when I didn't receive consent from my parents to start transitioning, I cried myself to sleep."

This is what happens when asshole parents don't consent.

[account_inactive]

It must vary from state to state in the US then?

It's definitely 18 over here in the UK.

[vorlon13]

From what I have garnered from watching 'Botched', it is not currently possible medically to have a male or female surgically treated to have 3 breasts as it would result in the worst case of symmastia possible.   And since the medical procedures that are currently available would result in a catastrophe (medically and appearance-wise) there are absolute ethical prohibitions from doing  such a procedure too.

Now, at some point, some skilled surgeon might figure it out, and there is considerable financial considerations to do precisely that.  And then that will be an option . . .

[Catholic_Lady]

At first, I thought the topic would be about surgeries in general. I have tarsal coalition, and when I was 14 I was offered a surgery to separate the tarsal bones. It was causing me a great deal of pain, so I really wanted to do it. Since I was a minor, it was my parents' say, and they thought the risks outweighed the benefits (it was an intensive surgery, to be fair.) My feet still give me constant pain to this day, and although I can manage it better than I used to, I'm still upset that my parents stopped me from at least trying to fix it. The surgery is no longer on the table now that my feet are fully grown.

But for sex reassignment surgery? I don't think so. That's a monumental step to take for something that they can't be sure is something they truly want, with no literal medical benefits.

That's a rough thing to deal with. I'm sorry. 

[I_am_not_mafia]

Should minors be allowed to get sex reassignment surgery without their parent's consent? 

Apparently this is happening in Minnesota with a teen who wants to transition into a woman and the mom is saying no. Was curious to know yall's opinions on the legal side of things.

Any reason you didn't provide all the details and just referred to them as a minor and let people assume that they were much younger and still the responsibility of the parent?

[Excited Penguin]

[..]
As an adult go right ahead. But not as a child. Not without your parents' consent and a mandatory psychological evaluation ideally.

[Emphasis mine]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Leelah_Alcorn

According to her suicide note, Alcorn had felt "like a girl trapped in a boy's body" since she was four, and came to identify as a transgender girl from the age of fourteen, when she became aware of the term. According to her note, she immediately informed her mother, who reacted "extremely negatively" by claiming that it was only a phase and that God had made her a male, so she could never be a woman. She stated that this made her hate herself, and that she developed a form of depression. Her mother sent her to Christian conversion therapists, but there "only got more Christians telling me that I was selfish and wrong and that I should look to God for help." Aged sixteen, she requested that she be allowed to undergo transition treatment, but was denied permission: "I felt hopeless, that I was just going to look like a man in drag for the rest of my life. On my 16th birthday, when I didn't receive consent from my parents to start transitioning, I cried myself to sleep."

This is what happens when asshole parents don't consent.

OK, that's bullshit. 

The parents obviously mishandled that. And the person involved could have waited to become an adult. I wouldn't be surprised if they suffered from serious mental conditions. 

But I'm not a psychiatrist and neither are you. 

The desire to modify your gender may very well be rational and compatible with a healthy mindset , I don't know and I don't think so , and it would still not be something children should be allowed to do without consent. And adults for that matter as well, without a psychological evaluation, but that has more to do with my general view of how society should work than with this particular problem.

[brewer]

If they want and can qualify/complete the emancipation process (which includes financial self support) then take that route. Then the minor can have any surgery they can afford. Until that time or the age of majority my position would be no. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_of_minors

[vorlon13]

I hit 12 Steppers when I was 28. How many crucial decisions that I may have made before then (particularly in the last 5 years of my addictions) would I really want to be stuck with for the rest of my life?

(I'm not saying all the 16 year olds wanting reassignment surgery are incipient 12 Steppers, but there will be a considerable number of them regardless)

Some of the bad decisions I did make have been very tough to live with, being possibly someone who would also having to look at myself as surgically self-disfigured would compound it.


BTW, I knw someone at 12 Steppers who celebrated 5 years of sobriety on his 21st birthday. How many crucial decisions would we have liked for him to have made before he was age 30 ??