Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines
The Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines: for trans and gender diverse children and adolescents (ASOCTG), aim to maximise quality care provision to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children and adolescents across Australia, while recognising the unique circumstances of providing such care to this population.
You can learn more from AusPath and review all of their SoC documents here:
https://auspath.org.au/standards-of-care/
Services in South Australia:
Services for young people under the age of 17 can vary depending on the needs of the young person and where they are in pubertal development. Transition may include:
Social aspects such as name/pronouns/dress and expression/social connections etc.
Legal aspects may include name/gender marker change.
Medical needs such as puberty suppression medication.
Puberty Suppression in Australia
For young trans people wanting access hormonal affirmation, puberty blockers are sometimes the first step. This page aims to give you an overview of what puberty blockers are, their effects and how they may be accessed in your State or Territory.
Click here for a link to state-by-state information as noted on Trans Hub.
Legislation for Medical Care in SA
Trans Health SA does NOT provide legal advice and encourage persons to seek independent guidance for their own circumstances from health and legal professionals. The below information is a guide only.
South Australia provides medical care under the ‘Consent to Medical Treatment and Palliative Care Act 1995‘. The Act states, “A person of or over 16 years of age may make decisions about his or her own medical treatment as validly and effectively as an adult.” (Division 1, Section 6)
Division 4—Medical treatment of children
12—Administration of medical treatment to a child
A medical practitioner may administer medical treatment to a child if—
(a) the parent or guardian consents; or
(b) the child consents and—
(1) the medical practitioner who is to administer the treatment is of the opinion that the child is capable of understanding the nature, consequences and risks of the treatment and that the treatment is in the best interest of the child’s health and well-being; and
(2) that opinion is supported by the written opinion of at least one other medical practitioner who personally examines the child before the treatment is commenced.
Where there may be a disagreement between parent/carers, a custody order, or a child is under care of the state, for the provision of gender affirming medical care, it may be encouraged to consult the services of the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.