Endocrinologist Prescribes Hormones when Mother Brings Daughter in for an Adrenal Issue

This is a transcript of a Partners for Ethical Care (PEC) parent story. The original version can be found here, and the podcast version can be found here, as part of PEC’s podcast series, “The Witness: True Stories of Children and Gender Identity.

My daughter was diagnosed with anxiety at age 4 and peaked again at age 12 and has been uncontrollable since. Right after she diagnosed herself as transgender at age 15, I had switched her to Children’s Hospital Primary Care, Smithville, New Jersey. After 5 mins of meeting her, without background on her anxiety or self esteem issues, they sent me out of the room and told her to go to a clinic at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, PA for hormone treatment.

Three years later, my daughter was having issues with adrenals (high cortisol). I took her to an endocrinologist at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia PA to see if there was a medical issue going on causing her uncontrollable anxiety. Again within 5 mins of meeting her, they sent me out of the room and offered her hormones. When they left the room, I asked them in the hallway why they would offer her hormones without knowing her. The first doctor got very defensive and said she didn’t do anything wrong. A note was in her chart from her primary care doctor that she self identifies as transgender. We were there for an adrenal issue, not a trans issue. Why would they bring that up? I was told by the senior physician that I needed therapy because I cannot accept her identity. The other doctor said that legally in the state of Pennsylvania a 9 year old could go without consent and get hormones.

DO NOT take a child there if they identify as trans.