Decision to transition must be judged to be autonomous
Dr. Lemma noted that even in those instances where medical transitioning, on balance, is the best option, it’s important to acknowledge that the process has a psychological impact.
“What matters is that in facing a major life-changing decision, an individual has the opportunity to understand the developmental and social experiences that drive their experience of gender dysphoria such that the decisions they make about medical transitioning can be said to be taken more autonomously,” she and Dr. Savulescu wrote.
And for those people who opt for full gender reassignment surgery, they are the first to say, “I don’t think I could have got through this as well as I have without psychological support,” Dr. Lemma remarked.
Ultimately, what’s important is to ensure the protection of those individuals whose needs will most likely not be met by medical transitioning, while not making it impossible for those who are suffering to get the care they need in order to transition, she concluded.
Until 2016, Dr. Lemma was professor of psychological therapies at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and Essex University. During that time she worked with adult transgender individuals at the Portman clinic but not at the Gender Identity Service at the Tavistock clinic. Currently, she works in private practice with transgender individuals at the Queen Anne Street Practice, London. Dr. Savulescu has reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.