The World Professional Association for Transgender Health is imminently expected to publish an update to its standards of care guidance. WPATH is the leading transgender health organization, and its guidelines are followed in the United States and globally.

Expected changes in the forthcoming edition include the lowering of recommended ages for hormones and surgeries in minors, enabling access to treatment one to two years earlier than what is currently suggested. This would mean children are able to undergo cross-sex hormones at age 14, double mastectomies at age 15, and genital surgeries, including hysterectomies and removal of the ovaries or testes, at age 17. Considering that there exist cases in which children have undergone these interventions earlier than what is presently recommended, it isn’t far off to imagine that once these new guidelines are in place, minors may be granted access at even younger ages.