A medical group is offering official guidance to help with the treatment of transgender individuals.

The Endocrine Society, which represents the research and treatment of conditions related to the human body’s many glands and hormones, has released a new report on the proper treatment of gender-dysphoric or gender-incongruent individuals, often described as transgender.

The guidance, published in the November edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), sets both standard terminology and a framework for treatment for individuals who receive hormone therapy or other treatment for gender dysphoria. The group notes that understanding of gender issues has evolved in recent years, and the new report, which updates a document last changed in 2009, reflects these shifts.

Among the recommendations: suggestions on how to treat adolescents, including an advisement against using hormone treatment on children before they’ve reached puberty; recommendations on the type of training that clinicians should receive for treating transgender individuals; what vital signs should be monitored during treatment; and advisement on different medical options available, including surgery and fertility options.

“Diagnosing clinicians, mental health providers for adolescents, and mental health professionals for adults all should be knowledgeable about the diagnostic criteria for gender-affirming treatment, have sufficient training and experience in assessing related mental health conditions, and be willing to participate in the ongoing care throughout the endocrine transition,” explained Columbia University’s Wylie Hembree, M.D., the chair of the task force behind the new guidelines, in a news release.

Beyond the Endocrine Society, a number of associations cosponsored the guidelines, including the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Society of Andrology, European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology, European Society of Endocrinology, Pediatric Endocrine Society, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

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