LGBTI+ groups denounce new hormone access restrictions

Seventeen LGBTİ+ organizations have issued a joint statement criticizing the Health Ministry’s recent decision to restrict access to hormone therapy for transgender and intersex individuals by raising the minimum age for treatment from 18 to 21.

The decision came during Trans Pride Week. Rights advocates argue that anyone aged 18 and older should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and health. They emphasized that the policy violates both Turkey’s Constitution and international treaties to which the country is a party.

‘A hormone drug is not just a drug’

In the joint statement, the organizations stressed that hormone therapy is essential for the physical and mental well-being of trans and intersex individuals, and not merely a medical prescription.

"A hormone drug is not just a hormone drug. For a trans and intersex person, the hormone regulator they use is not only physical, but also the foundation of mental and social well-being, and a vital tool that helps them adapt to social life without anxiety," the statement read.

"As noted by international health organizations, including the World Health Organization, delayed or lack of access to hormones can reduce the quality of life for many trans and intersex individuals, leading to deepening body dissatisfaction, impaired psychological health, and social isolation.

“Imposing a minimum age limit of 21 for hormone use is a clear attack on the health, education, housing, and employment opportunities of young trans and intersex people, and therefore on their future! That is why we say: Hormones are not just a medication; they are the guarantee of life and the future! Hormones are a right!

"This regulation, which appears to be solely about the right to health, is also an attack on our right to education, housing, employment, and even our right to life, sometimes indirectly, sometimes directly.

"As LGBTI+s and LGBTI+ rights advocates, we will not remain silent in the face of this attack by the Health Ministry! We will not stand by and watch as young trans and intersex people, who already face various difficulties in accessing healthcare, are pushed into underground health centers, black market drug dealers, and improper drug use by the state.

"We proudly announce during Pride Month: We will not let this injustice go unchallenged! We will speak out against these attacks with the #HormonHakkım campaign. We invite you to join us!”

(TY/VK)