Seattle Children Hospital will open a clinic providing care to transgender youth on October 4.

The clinic, which will serve patients up to 21 years of age, will offer puberty blockers, hormone therapy, mental health support, and group discussions.

The clinic will be run by Dr. David Breland, who specializes in adolescent medicine. The adolescent medicine department will fund the clinic with a $160,000 grant from the Pacific Hospital Preservation & Development Authority.

Anna Altavas, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said the clinic is opening because “Dr. David Breland and his team are acknowledging care challenges faced by individuals with gender identity questions.”

On Friday the quarterly journal the New Atlantis released a report questioning the usefulness of providing medical and therapeutic services for transgender adolescents. The New Atlantis is published by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank in Washington D.C.

Be mindful of the fact that there is much we still don’t know about the development of gender dysphoria and transgender identity in regards to children.

--Adam Keiper, editor of the journal

However, research published by the University of Washington’s TransYouth Project in February showed that providing family and medical support for transgender children significantly reduces anxiety and depression.

it’s absolutely appropriate for a major children’s hospital to provide this kind of care.

We know that transgender youth have a suicide attempt rate that is close to half. Early intervention, information and counseling is critical – plus the right thing to do.

--Linda Gromko, Seattle doctor specializing in transgender care