Of course a third party can claim a trans patient is seeking care for the wrong reasons, or that their care is actually harmful, etc. - but we have to remember that we can still parse claims and test them against reality.
Doctors have a moral and legal obligation to practice evidence-based medicine, and they should not take seriously pseudo-science fad treatments that are contrary to the well-being of the patient. It is their place to deny a patient such a treatment.
That said, because transphobia in our society has resulted in gatekeeping and withholding gender-affirming care from trans patients for so long (including my own care!), it is hard for me not to agree with you: the patient should be free to make choices about their body. I believe hormones should be accessible over the counter, without a required prescription.
But again, this rights-based approach and desire for radically free access to hormones has downsides, namely the harm done if there isn’t anything done to mitigate something like this testosterone therapy fad.
I think we agree that one solution is that a doctor can provide informed consent, but I think this is too much responsibility on doctors to combat misinformation campaigns. As a society we are having to come to terms with how destructive misinformation can be, and what needs to be done to combat it. I actually have no idea how to best solve this, even if I can see that it is naive to expect a single visit with a doctor to deprogram an incel from their ideology or adequately protect them from starting a needless and harmful treatment.
Of course a third party can claim a trans patient is seeking care for the wrong reasons, or that their care is actually harmful, etc. - but we have to remember that we can still parse claims and test them against reality.
Doctors have a moral and legal obligation to practice evidence-based medicine, and they should not take seriously pseudo-science fad treatments that are contrary to the well-being of the patient. It is their place to deny a patient such a treatment.
That said, because transphobia in our society has resulted in gatekeeping and withholding gender-affirming care from trans patients for so long (including my own care!), it is hard for me not to agree with you: the patient should be free to make choices about their body. I believe hormones should be accessible over the counter, without a required prescription.
But again, this rights-based approach and desire for radically free access to hormones has downsides, namely the harm done if there isn’t anything done to mitigate something like this testosterone therapy fad.
I think we agree that one solution is that a doctor can provide informed consent, but I think this is too much responsibility on doctors to combat misinformation campaigns. As a society we are having to come to terms with how destructive misinformation can be, and what needs to be done to combat it. I actually have no idea how to best solve this, even if I can see that it is naive to expect a single visit with a doctor to deprogram an incel from their ideology or adequately protect them from starting a needless and harmful treatment.