Puberty can be especially upsetting for many transgender children. Starting at the first signs of the changes -- around 10 years old for girls, and 11 for boys -- doctors can prescribe hormone blockers, which are injections or implants that keep the body from releasing estrogen or testosterone. That means the body won't go through the permanent changes that normally happen during puberty, such as growing facial hair, getting an Adam's apple, voice changes, breast growth, and the start of menstrual periods. But the effects of the medication are reversible. Your child could decide later to stop taking them and go through the physical changes of their biological sex.
Puberty blockers can buy your family some time to reflect on the future before your child goes through puberty, which is irreversible. That can help them avoid the need for surgeries (such as breast removal) and other treatments later.
Hormone blockers have been tested and safely used for decades on kids who start puberty too young. Their use for transgender children is a relatively new practice and is considered an "off-label use" of the medication, not approved by the FDA. But the Society of Pediatric Endocrinology supports that use. Children under 18 need a parent's consent to start taking these medications.
