Adolescent care
A message from Dr. Scott Mosser:
Providing individuals with life-saving gender-affirming surgeries has been the cornerstone of The Gender Confirmation Center’s mission for the last 9 years. Our public advocacy, philanthropy, research, support for the trans community, and leadership in the world of trans healthcare, have made our practice highly visible. A sobering consequence of that visibility is that we have become a target of anti-trans, anti-science extremists. In August of 2022, our practice began receiving an overwhelming number of violent threats directed at our patients, office team and surgical centers. To date, the threats have exclusively targeted our adolescent surgical care services.
After careful consideration of security experts’ assessments, we have reached the grave realization that we have no choice but to pause accepting new adolescent patients until that part of our work can be safely resumed. We are profoundly disturbed by the extent to which misinformation, prejudice and fanaticism threaten trans, non-binary and gender expansive people’s access to life saving care. Doctors’ offices should not be a political or literal battleground. Trans, non-binary and gender expansive people of all ages deserve access to healthcare without threats of violence.
Adolescent patients who have previously scheduled or completed a consultation, are in the insurance authorization process post-consultation, or have had a surgery already scheduled, should reach out to our office at (415) 780-1515 to clarify how this policy change will affect you.
Our commitment to patient safety remains our top priority. We understand the gravity involved in undergoing any gender-affirming surgery. The last thing we want our patients and their families to have to worry about as they prepare for, undergo and recover from surgery is their physical safety. As a result, there are several security measures we have implemented for the benefits of our patients, their families, visitors and our own staff. We will continue to monitor the threat level of this situation, following the guidance of security experts, and will communicate these changes with timeliness to the community. We will continue to collaborate with other leading medical centers, organizations, and experts who are uniting to confront increasing threats as part of our dedication to meeting the needs of all members of the transgender community.
Regardless of the threats we receive, we will continue to do what we can to support and assist adolescents seeking care. As a physician I believe deeply in, and abide by my profession’s commitment to, “do no harm.” So, before making any decisions about how to respond to the crisis, we went to great lengths to ensure that there are other safe, high-quality options for prospective adolescent patients. If you would like to schedule an informational/educational consultation about adolescent care with our surgeons, or seek information about, or for a referral to adolescent care providers, please reach out to our practice managers at 415-780-1515.
Our support of trans, non-binary and gender expansive adolescents extends to our philanthropic endeavors. The GCC has been a proud, consistent financial sponsor of the Trevor Project, helping to match funds to maintain their LGBTQ+ youth through crisis services, peer support, research, public education, and advocacy efforts. Our committee to building a world where trans youth live long, healthy lives will continue to stay present in all parts of the work we do.
In response to the misinformation being spread through extremist social media platforms, I do want to make clear that our policies for adolescent patients have always adhered to state law, and the best professional healthcare standards. The Gender Confirmation Center has always required parental consent for minor patients, and the support of a minor patient’s physician and mental health clinician prior to scheduling a consultation.
The entire team at the Gender Confirmation Center greatly appreciates your patience and mindfulness as we navigate this new situation. Our commitment to serve and support the transgender community is unwavering. We are doing everything we can to ensure that these extremist threats of violence, fueled by hate and medical misinformation, do not limit our community’s ability to access life-saving healthcare. And as new guidelines become available, we will continue to evaluate our policies to ensure that we are always providing optimal patient care and upholding the safety of our patients and team.
We welcome any thoughts or feedback you might wish to share through the form that can be found below.
If you are a current patient under the age of 18 and have not been in touch with our practice yet regarding these changes, please reach out to us at 415-780-1515.
Very best regards,
Scott W. Mosser, MD FACS
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
Gender Surgeon
Adolescent feedback
