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Children’s Rights pp 109–132Cite as

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A Right to Medical Decision-Making

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Abstract

Jamie was born in Australia as a healthy boy but, since the age of two, began to identify as a girl. From very early on, at school, she was known as female, she dressed in girls’ clothing, and her friends and family all treated her as if she were a girl. At the age of 11, Jamie began to experience the pubertal development of a 14-year-old and this caused her great distress as the prospect of developing facial hair and a deeper voice were contrary to who she felt she was. Cases such as these are not unusual. In 2011, Terry, who was aged 14 and born a girl, was taken to a hospital emergency department after his father noticed deep lacerations on Terry’s chest. On further examination, it became apparent they were caused by Terry binding his breasts with electrical tape.1 For both of these young adolescents, the Family Court of Australia authorized treatment of puberty-inhibiting drugs to prevent Jamie and Terry from going through puberty and experiencing further distress.2

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Notes

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  1. Mhairi Cowden
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© 2016 Mhairi Cowden

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Cowden, M. (2016). A Right to Medical Decision-Making. In: Children’s Rights. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137492296_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137492296_8

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-349-55585-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-49229-6

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