The Belgium Position on treatment of gender variant youngsters

The following information has been sent by clinicians at the University of Ghent:

From Professor Petra De Sutter

“We have started since about a year to accept and treat children according to the Amsterdam protocol and have now about one new child a week (!) demanding to enter our program. So far only a small number are on blockers, but numbers are growing exponentially”

From Dr Guy T’Sjoen

“The interventions we offer are exactly the same ones as those proposed by Prof. Dr. HA Delemarre-van de Waal and Prof. Dr. PT Cohen-Kettenis, Genderteam of the Free University Amsterdam.

Suppression of the endogenous puberty by means of GnRh-analogues in girls with Tanner Breast Stage 2-3 and in boys with Tanner Genital Stage 3 (testicular volume of 6–8 ml) is suggested. No specific hormonal values are included in these criteria. Adolescent transsexual persons will be treated from early puberty until the age of 16, followed by—if indicated—cross-sex-steroid treatment together with suppression of the endogenous puberty. At the age of 18, surgical corrections can be optional.

In females, the earliest age was 11.5 and in boys the earliest age was 13. If testicular volume reached 6-8 ml in Genital Stage Two, puberty would be suspended.”

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