International › Germany · Last reviewed 2026-05-16
Germany
Summary
German adolescent gender care follows the AWMF S2k clinical guideline. A draft revision in 2024 retained the Dutch Protocol as a treatment option, with integration of reservations from systematic reviews. Various German professional associations for child and adolescent psychiatry have called for a more restrained practice. The Selbstbestimmungsgesetz (2024) regulates legal gender recognition and does not relate to medical treatment.
1. AWMF S2k guideline
The Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF) published a draft S2k guideline for gender dysphoria in minors in 2024. The final version was being finalised in 2025. The document was subject to public debate after leaks of internal versions.1
2. Positions of professional associations
- The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie has called for restraint in medical interventions.
- The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Endokrinologie supports continuation of the Dutch Protocol under strict conditions.
3. Selbstbestimmungsgesetz (2024)
The German Selbstbestimmungsgesetz (in force as of 1 November 2024) regulates legal change of gender and first name without medical advice. The law does not concern medical treatment and does not alter the clinical protocol.
See also
- HTA reports referenced by AWMF: Cass Review, SBU
- Original protocol description adopted by AWMF: Delemarre 2006
- International guidelines overview: Guidelines international
- Worldwide overview: Status 2025
- International comparison — Germany alongside other countries in table.
- Timeline — policy decisions chronologically.
- FAQ · Glossary.
Footnotes
- AWMF S2k-Leitlinie "Geschlechtsinkongruenz und Geschlechtsdysphorie im Kindes- und Jugendalter", registry no. 028-014 (draft 2024).
- Korte A, Beier KM, Spitzer C. Stellungnahme zur AWMF-Leitlinie. Dtsch Arztebl. 2024.