Jack Turban

Last updated

Jack Turban
LPCH Headshot Cropped.jpg
Born
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education Harvard University (BA)
Yale University (MD, MHS)
Occupation(s)Psychiatrist, writer, and researcher
Employer University of California San Francisco
Known forLGBTQ mental health research

Jack L. Turban is an American psychiatrist and writer who researches LGBTQ health, with a focus on the mental health of transgender youth. [1] [2] His writing has appeared in The New York Times , [3] [4] [5] The Washington Post , [6] [7] and Vox . [8] [9] [10] He is an assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at The University of California San Francisco and affiliate faculty in health policy at The Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. [11] [12]

Contents

Early life and education

Turban was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [1] Fearful of violence from his father, he did not come out as gay until he attended college. [13] He later wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine about his early experiences of childhood homophobia and how they influenced his experience of medical education. [13] Turban attended Harvard College where he studied neuroscience, then earned his medical and master of health science degrees from Yale School of Medicine. He completed psychiatry residency at McLean Hospital (Harvard Medical School) in 2020 and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine in 2022. [12] [11]

Career

Turban is an assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry and health policy at the University of California, San Francisco. [11] [12] He has published studies showing that gender identity conversion therapies (attempts to make transgender people cisgender) are widespread in the US [14] [15] and associated with suicide attempts. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] His research has shown that access to gender-affirming medical care (puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones) during adolescence is linked to better mental health outcomes in adulthood. [21] [22] [23] [24] He has also been one of the few researchers to publish on the topic of gender de-transition, [25] [26] including in the academic literature. [27] [28] [29]

Turban has been critical of Wall Street Journal writer Abigail Shrier's book Irreversible Damage, which alleges that a recent surge in adolescents becoming transgender is taking place, largely due to social contagion. He claimed that the book misinterpreted and omitted important scientific evidence about young people and gender identity. [30] He subsequently co-authored a study arguing that gender dysphoria in children was not caused by social contagion. [31]

Turban has been critical of the geosocial networking application Grindr, and argued in Vox that the app may have detrimental effects on the mental health of gay men. [32] [9] He has complained that Grindr does not do enough to keep minors off of their platform, and that this may pose sexual risk to young people. [33] His opinion piece for The New York Times about minors on Grindr was one of several LGBT articles that were conspicuously censored with large white boxes in The New York Times print edition in Qatar. [34]

Related Research Articles

Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. Methods that have been used to this end include forms of brain surgery, surgical or hormonal castration, aversive treatments such as electric shocks, nausea-inducing drugs, hypnosis, counseling, spiritual interventions, visualization, psychoanalysis, and arousal reconditioning.

Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identity—their personal sense of their own gender—and their sex assigned at birth. The term replaced the previous diagnostic label of gender identity disorder (GID) in 2013 with the release of the diagnostic manual DSM-5. The condition was renamed to remove the stigma associated with the term disorder.

The Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People (SOC) is an international clinical protocol by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) outlining the recommended assessment and treatment for transgender and gender-diverse individuals across the lifespan including social, hormonal, or surgical transition. It often influences clinicians' decisions regarding patients' treatment. While other standards, protocols, and guidelines exist – especially outside the United States – the WPATH SOC is the most widespread protocol used by professionals working with transgender or gender-variant people.

Gender dysphoria in children (GD), also known as gender incongruence of childhood, is a formal diagnosis for children who experience significant discontent due to a mismatch between their assigned sex and gender identity. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder in children (GIDC) was used by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) until it was renamed gender dysphoria in children in 2013 with the release of the DSM-5. The diagnosis was renamed to remove the stigma associated with the term disorder.

Kenneth J. Zucker is an American-Canadian psychologist and sexologist. He was named editor-in-chief of Archives of Sexual Behavior in 2001. He was psychologist-in-chief at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and head of its Gender Identity Service until December 2015. Zucker is a professor in the departments of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Toronto.

Jack Drescher is an American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst known for his work on sexual orientation and gender identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT people in prison</span> Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in prison

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people face difficulties in prison such as increased vulnerability to sexual assault, other kinds of violence, and trouble accessing necessary medical care. While much of the available data on LGBTQ inmates comes from the United States, Amnesty International maintains records of known incidents internationally in which LGBTQ prisoners and those perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender have suffered torture, ill-treatment and violence at the hands of fellow inmates as well as prison officials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transsexual</span> People experiencing a gender identity inconsistent with their assigned sex

A transsexual person is someone who experiences a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desires to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance to help them align their body with their identified sex or gender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender youth</span> Children and adolescents who are transgender

Transgender youth are children or adolescents who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Because transgender youth are usually dependent on their parents for care, shelter, financial support, and other needs, they differ in challenges compared to adults. According to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, appropriate care for transgender youth may include supportive mental health care, social transition, and/or puberty blockers, which delay puberty and the development of secondary sex characteristics to allow children more time to explore their gender identity.

Puberty blockers are medicines used to postpone puberty in children. The most commonly used puberty blockers are gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, which suppress the natural production of sex hormones, such as androgens and estrogens. Puberty blockers are used to delay the development of unwanted secondary sex characteristics in transgender children, so as to allow transgender youth more time to explore their gender identity. The same drugs are also used to treat other conditions, such as precocious puberty in young children and some hormone-sensitive cancers in adults.

Transgender hormone therapy, also called hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), is a form of hormone therapy in which sex hormones and other hormonal medications are administered to transgender or gender nonconforming individuals for the purpose of more closely aligning their secondary sexual characteristics with their gender identity. This form of hormone therapy is given as one of two types, based on whether the goal of treatment is masculinization or feminization:

Transgender health care includes the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental health conditions, as well as gender-affirming care, for transgender individuals. A major component of transgender health care is gender-affirming care, the medical aspect of gender transition. Questions implicated in transgender health care include gender variance, sex reassignment therapy, health risks, and access to healthcare for trans people in different countries around the world.

Detransition is the cessation or reversal of a transgender identification or of gender transition, temporarily or permanently, through social, legal, and/or medical means. The term is distinct from the concept of 'regret', and the decision may be based on a shift in gender identity, or other reasons, such as health concerns, social pressure, or discrimination and stigma.

LGBT psychology is a field of psychology of surrounding the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals, in the particular the diverse range of psychological perspectives and experiences of these individuals. It covers different aspects such as identity development including the coming out process, parenting and family practices and support for LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as issues of prejudice and discrimination involving the LGBT community.

Due to the increased vulnerability that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth face compared to their non-LGBT peers, there are notable differences in the mental and physical health risks tied to the social interactions of LGBT youth compared to the social interactions of heterosexual youth. Youth of the LGBT community experience greater encounters with not only health risks, but also violence and bullying, due to their sexual orientation, self-identification, and lack of support from institutions in society.

Rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) is a controversial, scientifically unsupported hypothesis which claims that some adolescents identify as transgender and experience gender dysphoria due to peer influence and social contagion. ROGD is not recognized as a valid mental health diagnosis by any major professional association, which discourage its use due to a lack of reputable scientific evidence for the concept, major methodological issues in existing research, and its stigmatization of gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The paper initially proposing the concept was based on surveys of parents of transgender youth recruited from three anti-trans websites; following its publication, it was re-reviewed and a correction was issued highlighting that ROGD is not a clinically validated phenomenon. Since the paper's publication, the concept has frequently been cited in legislative attempts to restrict the rights of transgender youth.

<i>Irreversible Damage</i> 2020 book by Abigail Shrier

Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters is a 2020 book by Abigail Shrier, published by Regnery Publishing, which endorses the controversial concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD). ROGD is not recognized as a medical diagnosis by any major professional institution nor is it backed by credible scientific evidence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genspect</span> Organization opposing transgender rights

Genspect is an international group founded in June 2021 by psychotherapist Stella O'Malley that has been described as gender-critical. Genspect opposes gender-affirming care, as well as social and medical transition for transgender people. Genspect opposes allowing transgender people under 25 years old to transition, and opposes laws that would ban conversion therapy on the basis of gender identity. Genspect also endorses the unproven concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD), which proposes a subclass of gender dysphoria caused by peer influence and social contagion. ROGD has been rejected by major medical organisations due to its lack of evidence and likelihood to cause harm by stigmatizing gender-affirming care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine</span> Organization opposing transgender rights

The Society For Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM) is a non-profit organization that is known for its opposition to gender-affirming care for transgender youth and for engaging in political lobbying. The group routinely cites the unproven concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria and has falsely claimed that conversion therapy techniques are only practiced on the basis of sexual orientation rather than gender identity. SEGM is often cited in anti-transgender legislation and court cases, sometimes filing court briefs. It is not recognized as a scientific organization by the international medical community.

Transgender asylum seekers are transgender-identifying people seeking refuge in another country due to stigmatization or persecution in their home countries. Because of their gender non-conformity, transgender asylum seekers face elevated risks to their mental and physical health than cisgender asylum seekers or those whose gender identity is the same as their sex assigned at birth, including higher risks of physical and sexual assault, torture, "conversion therapy" practices, and forced isolation. As a result, transgender people face challenges in the asylum process not experienced by others.

References

  1. 1 2 Brammer, John Paul (June 14, 2017). "#Pride30: Physician Jack Turban is dedicated to trans kids' health". NBC News. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  2. ↑ Isaac, Bronwyn (June 26, 2017). "How Young Doctors Are De-Bunking Transphobia In Medicine". Bustle. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  3. ↑ Turban, Jack (April 8, 2017). "Opinion | Hannah Is a Girl. Doctors Finally Treat Her Like One". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  4. ↑ Turban, Jack (February 6, 2020). "Opinion | What South Dakota Doesn't Get About Transgender Children". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  5. ↑ Turban, Jack (June 13, 2018). "Opinion | The Digital Sex Lives of Young Gay Teenagers". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  6. ↑ Turban, Jack. "Opinion | How I am prioritizing my psychiatry patients amid a pandemic". Washington Post. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  7. ↑ Turban, Jack. "Opinion | Texas officials are spreading blatant falsehoods about medical care for transgender kids". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  8. ↑ Turban, Jack (April 15, 2020). ""I want to donate plasma for an experimental Covid-19 treatment. Because of homophobia, I can't."". Vox. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "We need to talk about how Grindr is affecting gay men's mental health". www.vox.com. April 4, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  10. ↑ Turban, Jack (October 22, 2018). "It's okay to let your transgender kid transition — even if they might change their mind in the future". Vox. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 "Jack Turban MD MHS Profile". University of California San Francisco.
  12. 1 2 3 "Jack Turban MD MHS | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  13. 1 2 Turban, Jack L. (October 3, 2019). "Medical Training in the Closet". New England Journal of Medicine. 381 (14): 1305–1307. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1905829. ISSN   0028-4793. PMC   7935459 . PMID   31577873.
  14. ↑ Aviles, Gwen (August 15, 2019). "Nearly 200,000 trans people have been exposed to conversion therapy, study says". NBC News. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  15. ↑ Crist, Carolyn. "Transgender people in U.S. still face conversion therapy attempts". News.trust.org. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  16. ↑ Bever, Lindsey. "Conversion therapy associated with severe psychological distress in transgender people, study says". The Washington Post.
  17. ↑ Gander, Kashmira (September 11, 2019). "Transgender conversion therapy linked to suicide attempts, with practice "rooted solely in discrimination and hate"". Newsweek. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  18. ↑ Assunção, Muri (September 11, 2019). "Trans adults who try professional help to change gender identity are twice likely to commit suicide, new study finds". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  19. ↑ Wadman, Meredith (September 12, 2019). "New study reveals risks of transgender 'conversion therapy'". Science Magazine. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  20. ↑ Mahale, Jenna (September 14, 2019). "New Study Conclusively Ties "Conversion Therapy" to Suicide Attempts". Vice. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  21. ↑ Ramirez, Marc. "Transgender children who get hormone therapy enjoy better mental health, study says". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Early access to gender-affirming hormones linked to better mental health, study finds". NBC News. January 13, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Puberty blockers linked to lower suicide risk for transgender people". NBC News. January 24, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  24. ↑ G, Kashmira; er (January 23, 2020). "Transgender people who have access to puberty blockers are less likely to have suicidal thoughts, study finds". Newsweek. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  25. ↑ Bokat-Lindell, Spencer (April 8, 2021). "Opinion | How Trans Children Became a Political Football". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  26. ↑ Knox, Liam (December 19, 2019). "Media's 'detransition' narrative is fueling misconceptions, trans advocates say". NBC News. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  27. ↑ Turban, Jack L.; Loo, Stephanie S.; Almazan, Anthony N.; Keuroghlian, Alex S. (May 2021). "Factors Leading to "Detransition" Among Transgender and Gender Diverse People in the United States: A Mixed-Methods Analysis". LGBT Health. 8 (4): 273–280. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2020.0437. ISSN   2325-8306. PMC   8213007 . PMID   33794108.
  28. ↑ Turban, Jack L.; Keuroghlian, Alex S. (July 2018). "Dynamic Gender Presentations: Understanding Transition and "De-Transition" Among Transgender Youth". Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 57 (7): 451–453. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.03.016. ISSN   1527-5418. PMID   29960687. S2CID   49645550.
  29. ↑ Turban, Jack L.; Carswell, Jeremi; Keuroghlian, Alex S. (October 1, 2018). "Understanding Pediatric Patients Who Discontinue Gender-Affirming Hormonal Interventions". JAMA Pediatrics. 172 (10): 903–904. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.1817. ISSN   2168-6211. PMID   30178056. S2CID   52147320.
  30. ↑ "New Book "Irreversible Damage" Is Full of Misinformation | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  31. ↑ Yurcaba, Jo (August 13, 2022). "Gender Dysphoria in Transgender Kids Is Not Caused by 'Social Contagion,' Study Finds". Peoplemag. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  32. ↑ Gremore, Graham (April 7, 2018). "Grindr leaves men feeling depressed and dead inside, research finds". Queerty. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  33. ↑ Becker, Deborah (February 26, 2019). "Psychiatrist: LGBTQ Youth Vulnerable, Not Protected From Access To Dating Sites Like Grindr". WBUR (NPR). Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  34. ↑ Sims, Shannon (August 1, 2018). "My Article Was Censored. I Found Out Why". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved December 2, 2019.
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