Pioneering UCSF Clinic Helps Transgender Youth Be Themselves (UCSF - University of California, San Francisco) ...

(Source: UCSF - University of California, San Francisco) Clues to a transgender identity can start very early. For Shay, who was biologically born a female, it began when he was 3- or 4-years-old, talking about his gender and refusing to wear dresses. Then, his father Wayne recalled, 'he told us he wanted to turn into a boy for his fifth birthday.' Children and teens who have an inner sense of gender that doesn't align with their biological sex can endure extreme psychological distress, called gender dysphoria. It can be especially distressing as they anticipate seeing their bodies transform during puberty. Increasingly, children diagnosed with gender dysphoria are turning to their doctors...