For the last two years, Koen has routinely self-administered weekly testosterone injections without a second thought.
During that time, the trans 17-year-old said his self-image and school and family life has drastically improved. His fear of needles, too, has faded.
“[Transitioning] made me look forward to things more because now I can start paying attention to the better version of myself,” said Koen, who asked to be identified by his first name because of fears for his safety. “It’s something I feel like I’ve needed for a while. I’m able to express myself more fluidly and feel comfortable doing that, which I think is a very big step for me right now.”
At the start of the year, though, a greater worry emerged.
A new law banning gender-affirming care for minors in Louisiana took effect on Jan. 1 prohibiting puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and gender-reaffirming surgery. Now, Koen isn’t sure he could continue his hormone treatment.
Louisiana is one of 22 other states that have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for minors, disrupting health care needs for trans and nonbinary people.
Gender affirming care is professionally administered interventions that help a person live an affirmed life as the gender they most identify with.
In practical terms, it’s a giant-ass flow chart with a bunch of different questions and options that end in a wide array of care options that properly guided individuals and either partake of, or not. Everything from talk therapy, to puberty blockers, to hormone replacement therapy, to physical surgeries on their genitals, to adding or removing breast mass, to changing the configuration of their face. Whatever makes sense to the individual.