For the last two years, Koen has routinely self-administered weekly testosterone injections without a second thought.

During that time, the trans 17-year-old said his self-image and school and family life has drastically improved. His fear of needles, too, has faded.

“[Transitioning] made me look forward to things more because now I can start paying attention to the better version of myself,” said Koen, who asked to be identified by his first name because of fears for his safety. “It’s something I feel like I’ve needed for a while. I’m able to express myself more fluidly and feel comfortable doing that, which I think is a very big step for me right now.”

At the start of the year, though, a greater worry emerged.

A new law banning gender-affirming care for minors in Louisiana took effect on Jan. 1 prohibiting puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and gender-reaffirming surgery. Now, Koen isn’t sure he could continue his hormone treatment.

Louisiana is one of 22 other states that have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for minors, disrupting health care needs for trans and nonbinary people.

  • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    11 months ago

    Lots of doctors disagree with you. I think I’ll go with their opinions over those of some uninformed internet rando who decides things based on feelings.

    • thoughtorgan@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      10
      ·
      11 months ago

      The same doctors that started the opioid epidemic because they were in big pharmas pocket?

      I wonder how much the hormone manufacturers are making.

      • yuriy@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        10 months ago

        ohh, you’re a conspiracy theorist!

        god, that explains everything. you should’ve opened with the big-hormone shit, we could’ve all just had a big laugh.

        • thoughtorgan@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          10 months ago

          You’re really going to argue there’s no economic interest in trans gender care?

          Or that there hasn’t been massive issues with healthcare systems that push profits for pharma execs?

          • yuriy@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            10 months ago

            Pick a lane.

            You’re not less of a transphobe because you also buy into really ridiculous reasoning for your transphobia.

            • thoughtorgan@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              10 months ago

              No I’m labeled a transphobe because I don’t want to remove all forms of gendered language, or allow children to be pumped full of hormones.

              I also distrust pharma because I work in the industry.

              It’s a free country, I’m not seeking to destroy freedoms of adults. The opposite, actually. Freedom for me is freedom for you.

              I’m granted the freedom to think differently than you. You’ve been brain washed to scream Nazi when people disagree.

              • yuriy@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                10 months ago

                You’re the first person to even think nazi in this case. You’ve been shitty and alarmist at every opportunity, shifting the goalposts around to match whatever your current talking point is. Go have a bad faith argument in a conservative community, they LOVE throwing the word nazi around.