Three of North Carolina’s leading medical institutions are offering gender transition treatments to children as young as 2 years old.
According to investigative journalist Sloan Rachmuth, top hospitals in the state of North Carolina are transitioning toddlers and training future medical professionals about the transition process.
Take a look at the minimum ages for transitioning from North Carolina's leading hospitals. PASS #SB639 #HB808 #ncpol pic.twitter.com/RsAKM9rh3j
— Sloan Rachmuth (@SloanRachmuth) May 1, 2023
In 2015, Duke Medicine opened its Gender Clinic, which offers treatment to children as young as two for gender dysphoria.
In 2016, Dr. Deanna Adkins, the director of the Duke Center for Child and Adolescent Gender Care, spoke about the “trans” toddlers she would treat.
“They are not old enough to consciously just choose to do that… It is not a choice in any of my patients. It’s really an unpleasant thing to have going on in your body to feel that distress about yourself. I can’t imagine anyone who would choose that,” said Adkins.
Dr. Adkins has also argued that gender identity is “the only medically supported determinant of sex.”
“It is counter to medical science to use chromosomes, hormones, internal reproductive organs, external genitalia, or secondary sex characteristics to override gender identity for purposes of classifying someone as male or female,” Adkins suggested.
In court testimony, Adkins described how Duke treats young children seeking gender-affirming care:
“Before puberty, treatment does not include any drug or surgical intervention. For this group of patients, treatment is limited to ‘social transition,’ which means allowing a transgender child to live and be socially recognized in accordance with their gender identity.
This can include allowing children to wear clothing, to cut or grow their hair, to use names and pronouns, and to access restrooms and other sex-separated facilities and activities in line with their gender identity instead of the sex assigned to them at birth.
Social transition is a critical part of treatment of patients with gender dysphoria of all ages and it is the only treatment for pre-pubertal children.”
Another top medical institution in North Carolina, UNC Health, practices “gender-affirming care” on children as young as three years old.
Its medical school residents also offer free cross-sex hormones on the third Wednesday of each month.
ECU Health has also been offering transgender treatment to toddlers by opening a “Pride Clinic.”
Dr. Colbey Dendy, a transgender activist that directs ECU’s clinic, spoke about the medical center’s goals and stated that they will serve kids as young as four.
“The literature tells us that kids can start around four having their gender identity, so we do not want to exclude anybody within the pediatrics realm,” said Dendy. “A big part of our goal is to provide affirming primary care to everybody in LGBTQ+ spectrum.”