What transgender teens desperately need from their families

The number is sobering. Fifty-two percent of transgender youth in the U.S. have considered suicide. As a result, Stanford Children’s Health recently conducted a study to understand how families can better support their children during this journey. Those results are already making a difference in the lives of many transgender teens.

Things haven’t always so easy between 17-year-old Rose and her parents. When she was 15, she revealed to her parents that she was transgender.

“I think it was, probably, one of the things that I was most scared of,” Rose explained.
She was the ideal child with top grades in school, and a promising future in science.

Rose’s mother, Jessie said she knew Rose was suffering, she just didn’t know how to properly help her.

To better understand Rose’s journey, the family met with doctors at the Stanford Children’s Health Pediatric and Adolescent Gender Clinic. There, they found guidance from a new study that revealed how parents can best support their trans child.

Tandy Aye, MD, said, “We had the parents come and be interviewed. We asked them about the pivotal moments from their child disclosing. We, then, asked the child about their perception of that.”

Dr. Aye uncovered some surprising results.

“For the patient, the most important thing that we found was they just wanted to be respected for their name and their pronouns,” said Dr. Aye.

The findings also revealed that the teens believe that their parents are doing a better job than they give themselves credit for. Trans youth primarily want someone to listen, and not necessarily medical intervention, yet.

Rose says being able to get support from your parents is a big deal. Rose and her parents are now closer than ever.

“All we care about, at this moment, is her happiness,” Rose’s mother, Jessie, added.

Dr. Aye also says that it’s okay to admit to a transgender child that you don’t have all the answers. She suggests taking the time to learn what you don’t know with the teen. The most important thing is to listen and keep the dialogue open.