A coalition of pediatricians, health policy groups and conservative organizations is calling on medical professionals to stop promoting transgender medical care for children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (ACP) and allies calling themselves “Physicians Protecting Children” have issued a declaration calling on mainstream American medical associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics to stop supporting so-called “gender-affirming treatments” for transgender youth.
“As physicians, along with nurses, psychotherapists, behavioral health clinicians, other medical professionals, scientists, researchers, and public health and policy experts, we have serious concerns about the physical and mental health impacts of current protocols promoted for the care of children and young people in the United States who express discomfort with their biological sex,” the declaration reads.
Asserting that sex is a biological characteristic and that medical decisions “should not be made based on an individual’s thoughts, feelings or self-proclaimed ‘gender identity,'” the group argues that what is currently accepted as the best treatment for gender dysphoria is actually harmful to patients. Their views are disputed throughout the medical community, which has demonstrated that gender is a social construct, not an innate biological reality, and that recognition and affirmation of an individual’s internal self-identity is in the patient’s best interest.
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A coalition called Doctors for Children argues that puberty suppressants, cross-sex hormone treatments and other “gender-affirming treatments” for transgender children and adolescents have no evidence of their effectiveness as treatments for gender dysphoria. (Adobe Stock)
For example, the American Medical Association (AMA) states on its website that “improving access to gender-affirming care is Health outcomes For transgender people.”
“Receiving gender-affirming care is associated with a dramatic reduction in suicide attempt rates, Depression and anxietyThe APA claims that studies have shown “reduced substance use, improved adherence to HIV medications, and reduced rates of harmful self-prescribed hormone use.”
The federal government, through the Department of Health and Human Services, also supports transgender medical procedures for children and adolescents, calling it “supportive forms of care that include medical, surgical, mental health, and non-medical services for transgender and non-binary people.”
“Research demonstrates that gender-affirming care improves the mental health and overall well-being of gender diverse children and youth,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population and Social Care (OASH).
However, several European countries, including Britain, Sweden, Finland, Norway and France, are opposed to the use of puberty suppression drugs or sex-reassignment surgery for children and young people. Britain, for example, announced last year that it would scale back access to hormone treatments and limit them to clinical trials only.
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Transgender rights activists take part in a demonstration against the ban on hormone blockers, in London, April 20, 2024. (Karl Cote/Getty Images)
In contrast to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) standards of care for transgender, transgender, and gender non-conforming people, Physicians for Children argues that allowing children to socially transition before puberty does not improve children’s mental health or social well-being outcomes.
The declaration cites a range of studies to back up its claims, including the Cath Review, a controversial independent report commissioned by the UK’s National Health Service that documented the medical treatment and care of children with gender identity disorder.
Named after the main author Dr. Hilary CassThe 388-page review found that medical professionals reported “no guidance, evidence or training” on sexual disorders and were “afraid to discuss” the topic, and concluded that the evidence supporting sex-change treatment for children and adolescents was “significantly weak.”
The Cass Review has been criticized by WPATH and transgender rights groups, who argue that it ignores recent evidence supporting the benefits of transgender medical procedures for transgender minors and “makes outdated and untrue assumptions about transgender children and adolescents that serve as a basis for harmful interventions.”
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Doctors for Children cited several studies showing that puberty blockers have not provided significant benefit to young people with gender dysphoria. (iStock)
Physicians for Children said the Cass review and related research from York University “further demonstrate the failure of WPATH, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society protocols.”
The coalition argues that research shows a lack of evidence that early social transition has positive or negative mental health effects; that puberty-blocking drugs are effective in suppressing secondary sexual characteristics but “do not alter gender dysphoria or body satisfaction”; and that there is insufficient research on the long-term effects of cross-sex hormone therapy to determine whether it is beneficial or harmful.
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“For these vulnerable children who are uncomfortable with their biological sex, psychotherapy for underlying mental health issues such as depression, anxiety or autism, as well as past psychological trauma or abuse, should be the first-line treatment,” Doctors for Children said.
The coalition called on the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to “follow the science and our expert European colleagues. Stop immediately Promoting social affirmation, puberty suppression, cross-sex hormones, and surgery for children and adolescents who experience distress regarding their biological sex (emphasis in original).”
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“It’s time for these American medical institutions to follow the lead of science and European experts and stop promoting protocols that harm children, including promoting social approval, puberty suppressants, cross-sex hormones and surgery for children and adolescents struggling with their biological sex,” said Dr. Jill Simmons, a pediatrician and executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The AAP, the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the AMA, the APA and the AACAP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
More than a dozen Republican-led states Including Texas Following strong opposition from American medical groups, measures have already been taken to ban or restrict the use of puberty-suppressing drugs on minors.
Fox News Digital’s Melissa Ruddy, Anders Hagstrom and Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.
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