A health mentor is offering chest binders to adolescent children in school. The caveat with this kind of support system is that the students might seek to use this instrument to help them transition.
The problem lies in the temporary and permanent side effects of unsafe and unsupervised binding to those who seek to transition gender.
Another important and concerning practice in this situation is that these binders can easily be within reach for children without their parents knowing they want to transition.
Chest binders are offered for free
As per Fox News, in Minnesota, a health mentor named Caroline Hickey was offering support services to students struggling with gender identity. Hickey was introduced to students through a flyer hung in the Hopkins Public Schools District and shared by a concerned parent on @LibsofTikTok.
To gather more information, an investigator from @LibsofTikTok posed as a student and reached out to Hickey, informing her that they were seeking hormone therapy but did not want their parents to find out.
Hickey was understanding and responded by offering alternative solutions to hormone therapy, including a free chest binder from myHealth.
MyHealth is a partner of Hopkins Public School and provides educational presentations on various topics to youth, young adults, parents, community members, and professionals in over 100 locations and 20 school districts.
Hickey's offer of a chest binder clearly indicates her commitment to supporting students struggling with gender identity issues while ensuring their privacy and confidentiality.
The incident highlights the need for schools to offer such support services to their students, who often struggle with complex issues that require understanding and support.
However, this type of support system and help can sometimes get blurry. There are numerous factors to consider when undergoing this type of counseling. Children or adolescent students need to consider if it is legal to transition behind their parents' backs.
Chest binders for transitioning students
According to WebMD, chest binders are often used by individuals who are transitioning to a different gender and want to flatten their chest. While binders can provide temporary relief and a more masculine appearance, they can also have serious health consequences.
One of the biggest dangers of chest binders is that they can restrict breathing and cause respiratory problems.
Tightly compressing the chest can make it challenging to take deep breaths and cause shortness of breath, especially during physical activity. Over time, this can lead to lung damage and even respiratory failure.
According to Pride in Practice, another danger of chest binders is that they can cause rib and spine damage. The pressure from the binder can cause the ribs to become misshapen and even cause fractures. The compression can also affect the spine and lead to back pain, poor posture, and other related problems.
Finally, chest binders can have a significant impact on mental health. The constant pressure and discomfort can lead to anxiety and depression, and the physical limitations of the binder can limit physical activity and overall quality of life.
Additionally, the social stigma surrounding gender and body image can also contribute to adverse mental health outcomes.
Those are just some of the complications women of all ages, cultures, and races can experience if they use chest binders in an unsafe and unsupervised manner.
