ELIO

Elio was fourteen when they began attending a gender-affirming clinic in Los Angeles, where they live. After two years on hormone therapy, they decided — with the support of their mother and medical team — to undergo a double mastectomy.

The decision was complex, Elio is on the autism spectrum. They parents are divorced and while their mother supported the surgery, their father opposed it, leading to a court case over medical decision-making authority. Despite his attempts to stop the procedure, the surgery was ultimately performed in 2024.

In California, most surgeons and insurance providers require patients to be 18 for gender-affirming mastectomy, though exceptions are sometimes made for minors under strict medical and legal review.