BSPED2021 Oral Communications Oral Communications 4 (9 abstracts)
1UCLH, London, United Kingdom; 2Leeds Childrens Hospital, Leeds, United Kingdom
Introduction: The destination of young people referred from the NHS Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) to the two paediatric endocrine centres covering England and Wales has not been analysed previously.
Methods: 1151 young people identifying as gender variant were referred from GIDS for an endocrine opinion: 827 patients to University College London Hospital (UCLH) from 2008; 324 to Leeds Childrens Hospital (LCH) from 2013. Outcomes were not known for 24/1151 patients (2.1%). 8 have emigrated.
Results: Of those continuing to identify as transgender: 867 (75.3%) were discharged to adult gender identity clinics (GICs). 166 (70.3%) were <16 yr and 701 (76.6%) were >16 yr at the time of referral to the endocrine clinics. 989 (85.9%) continued identifying as gender variant, most with NHS support. 38 (3.3%) opted for non-NHS services. 8 (0.7%) were either assessed as not competent or had significant overlying mental illness which prevented endocrine intervention despite continuing to identify as transgender. Of those ceasing to identify as transgender: 59 (5.1%) ceased identifying as transgender either after referral or after the first clinic appointment. A higher proportion were in the <16 yr group (6.4%) compared with >16 yr group (4.8%). 58 (5.0%) young people ceased treatment either with a GnRH analogue or cross sex hormones (CSH) and reverted to birth gender identification. A higher proportion were in <16 yr group (8.5%), than the >16 yr group (4.2%). Of those <16 yr, 6.8% ceased after GnRHa and 1.7% after CSH. In the over 16s, 3.6% ceased after GnRHa and 0.6% after CSH.
Conclusions: Of those referred to paediatric endocrine clinics, 86% continued to identify as transgender, 75% seeking ongoing care through NHS GICs.
5.1% ceased identifying as transgender after an initial consultation prior to any endocrine intervention. A higher proportion were in the <16 yr group (6.4%) compared with >16 yr group (4.8%).
Overall 58 (5.0%) of young people ceased treatment either with GnRHa or CSH and reverted to identify with birth gender. There was a higher proportion in the <16 yr group (8.5%) compared with the > 16 yr group (4.2%).