The Devastating Impact of Restricting Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth
“It is a universal truth that, while humans have hope they can survive, remove hope and they die."
— Marianne Oakes, Dip Couns, MBACP -Lead Counsellor, Anne Health
At Anne Health, we understand the profound impact that gender-affirming care has on the mental well-being of trans youth.
Our Lead Counsellor, Marianne Oakes, captures this reality perfectly in her reflection on hope. For many young trans people, access to care is not just a medical necessity; it’s a lifeline.
Without the ability to access treatments like puberty blockers, their futures seem uncertain and survival can feel unimaginable.
“For trans youth who are out and thriving the removal of a hopeful future is devastating beyond words. My generation always had hope, but the bar was very low as, access to care was rare and societal recognition was negligible so hope was all many of us had.”
— Marianne Oakes, Dip Couns, MBACP -Lead Counsellor, Anne Health
However, with better education and access to healthcare, transgender children have had every reason to thrive, to pull the rug from under them now is going to remove any hope they can live a full life.
Recent research from the United States has revealed the catastrophic consequences of denying this care. In the last year, suicide attempts among trans youth have nearly doubled, and this is no coincidence.
Hostile political actions targeting trans kids, such as bans on puberty blockers and other gender-affirming treatments, are directly fuelling this crisis. These restrictive measures send a dangerous message: that trans youth do not deserve to exist as their true selves.
At Anne Health, we see the impact of this hostility first-hand.
Our trans+ community members face mounting challenges as they navigate a healthcare landscape increasingly shaped by bias rather than compassion. This is not just an issue for individual families—it’s a public health emergency for the trans+ community as a whole. We cannot allow these attacks on trans youth to continue.
Hope is essential, and trans youth deserve a future where they can live freely and authentically.
It is up to all of us—healthcare professionals, allies, and advocates—to ensure that access to life-saving, gender-affirming care is protected and expanded. Every day, we fight for this future because we know, as Marianne so poignantly reminds us, that hope is what sustains us all.
Contact us to find out more about counselling sessions with Marianne for trans youth and adults. Email clinic@anne.health, or contact is via the #AskAnne Helpline or Webchat.