Researchers in Portugal have determined that a drug which reduces fear memories in male mice actually increases fear memories in female mice. The aim is to find drug therapies for fear-related mental disorders like PTSD and phobias. And it turns out that most such research has been done on males when psychiatrists see more female patients with these disorders.
This can present an interesting dilemma for progressives and for psychiatrists. Presuming the findings in mice hold up in humans, do you follow the science or go with the “gender is a personal decision” model when prescribing?
Not telling trans patients you are treating them according to their birth sex - when information about drug therapies is available for the asking on the Internet - isn’t going to work. Telling them openly what you intend to Rx (and why) is likely to evoke a “I won’t take that, it doesn’t match what I feel” reaction.
