Minors are half of those who have passed through the Osakidetza gender identity unit
- The Gender Identity Unit of Barakaldo Hospital has treated 1,075 people since its inception in 2016. More than half of the respondents received primary care before they reached the age of majority. And a third of the total was under the age of sixteen.
The Gender Identity Unit of the Barakaldo Crossing Hospital, the only one in the Osakidetza network, has treated 1,075 people since 2016. More than half of the deaths were minors: 576 in total. 361 was not yet sixteen years old. In addition, during the same period 326 surgeries of sexual confirmation have been performed. There are waiting lists of more than two years.
According to the data obtained, in these eight years 1,075 people have gone through the specialized unit of Cruces. 592 Biscayan, 298 Gipuzkoans, 164 Alaveses and 21 more people in other non-specific locations. 53% received the first care before they reached the age of majority. Many of them appeared before the age of sixteen. 2021 was the year that received the most attention, 256. According to this data, 68 have been recorded in 2024.
From 2016 to 2024, 326 sex-confirmed surgical interventions have been performed. It was 61 in 2021, the year in which more operations were carried out. The minimum was 20 in 2017. By 2024 they have reached 22. Osakidetza offers 49 types of surgery. The most common are breast resection, genital formation of felt sex or mastectomies. According to the official health information, the interventions with the highest waiting list are the creations. The average delay is 740 days for women and 617 days for men.
Primary care?
The Health Advisor, Alberto Martínez, has sent to the Basque Parliament, at the request of Ikoitz Arrese, representative of EH Bildu, data on the role of public health among people in transsexual situations. In February, shortly before the elections, the House approved an amendment to the 2012 regulations, with new guarantees for the group. Among them was a catalogue of health requirements, always from the point of view of de-pathologization and de-stigmatization. For example, "a maximum period of six months" was given for the specific services of the primary care network "to be in operation". That time will continue this summer.
The new law also provides for special protection for minors, although no measures are ruled out. It obliges the Administration to ensure "the free development of its personality and its integral development". Thus, for example, "transsexual minors have the full right to receive medical services and treatments related to their situation, especially hormone therapy". And "they have the right to be heard and to participate in decision-making regarding any measures that apply to their sexual identity".
