A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal of JAMA Pediatrics found that puberty suppression in transgender and gender-diverse adolescents temporarily slows bone development, particularly at the lumbar spine. While absolute bone mineral density remained stable during puberty suppression, it increased modestly after gender-affirming hormone therapy, with partial recovery of bone health when compared to peers.
Puberty represents a key window for achieving peak bone mass, which plays an important role in determining fracture risk later in life. As the use of puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormone therapy continues to expand in gender-diverse youth, understanding their long-term effects on skeletal health has become increasingly important.
A new systematic review and meta-analysis has found that while pubertal suppression with temporarily slows bone mineral accrual in transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adolescents, subsequent gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) promotes substantial recovery in bone health. However, researchers say the extent of long-term “catch-up” remains uncertain, underscoring the importance of careful monitoring during treatment.
It’s always easy to “fix” something you’re struggling with at the expense of something that’s pretty good. But it always bites you back. Always.
It’s not easy (not easy at all!) to stop, and start working on the main thing, but that’s the only way to deal with it — otherwise you fuck both things beyond repair.
And I’m not talking just identity and puberty, I’m talking all kinds of mental problems, relationship problems, family problems etc being solved at the expense of physical health (and for some people the other way around — physical problems being solved at the expense of mental health).
There resiliency margin of your “good” part is not that huge, and once it’s exhausted (and be sure the life will exhaust it even without your “help”), they both start hammering you.