China opens first transgender clinic for children, adolescents in a Shanghai university

November 8, 2021

China’s first transgender clinic that offers help to children and adolescents in their transition through medical and psychological means has recently opened in Shanghai.

A bridge: The clinic, which opened its doors at the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, aims to act as a bridge that connects transgender children, parents, doctors and other social groups, according to Global Times.

The clinic is “integrated with psychology, endocrine and genetic metabolic, urology departments among other departments,” Shine reported.
Luo Feihong, director of the hospital’s endocrine and genetic metabolic department, said “professional assessment, diagnosis, psychological treatment and necessary medicine intervention by doctors of multidisciplinary professions are of great help to reduce the negative emotions of these children and adolescents.” In turn, this could also help them better their performance at school and their family relationships.

Other details: Currently, there aren’t any official statistics on China’s transgender population. However, research conducted by Zhang Yudi in 2020 found that there may be more than 4 million transgender people in 10 provinces across the country, according to Nikkei Asia.

Transgender students suffer much higher rates of severe depression and anxiety than students who are not, according to research conducted in 2019 on transgender people’s suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.
Those seeking sex reassignment surgery must also follow the rules set by the National Health Commission in 2017, which include an age restriction indicating that a person must be 20 or older and have their parents’ consent. In addition, the person must also undertake psychological and psychiatric therapies for a minimum of one year.

Featured Image via Ivy Chen

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