The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published more than 400-page reports denounce what is often referred to as “gender-affirming care” for identified children, opposed to saying it is “invasive” and “usually irreversible” medical interventions.
The report, released Thursday, titled “Treatment of Childhood Gender Discomfort: A Review of Evidence and Best Practices,” analyzes the effects of surgery on sexual changes in cross-sex hormones, adolescent blockers and cosmetics for minors with gender discomfort.
“These interventions pose a risk of serious harm, including infertility/infertility, sexual dysfunction, bone density development disorders, adverse cognitive effects, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, mental disorders, surgical complications, and regret,” the report’s introduction states.
“On the other hand, a systematic review of the evidence revealed deep uncertainty about the benefits of these interventions.”
The report said it was “not a clinical practice guideline” and “will not issue legislative or policy recommendations.” The document is “for policy makers, clinicians, therapists, healthcare institutions and, importantly, patients and their families.”
The executive summary argues that “there is no international consensus on best practices for caring for children and adolescents with gender discomfort at present.”
“In the US, current approaches to treat childhood gender discomfort are consistent with the model of “gender-positive” care recommended by global professional associations for transgender health,” the summary reads.
“This model highlights the use of adolescent blockers and sex crosshormones as well as surgery, and casts doubt on psychotherapeutic approaches to managing gender discomfort.”
The report is critical of WPath’s approach, stating that a recent “systematic review of international guidelines quality” has “has “no developmental rigor and transparency.”
“Our duty is to protect the children of our country — not to expose them to unproven irreversible medical interventions,” Dr Jay Bhatacharya, director of the National Institute of Health, said in a statement. “We must follow the gold standard of science, not the activist agenda.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics has accused the HHS of being the organization representing approximately 67,000 primary care pediatricians with a history of supporting the use of adolescent blockers and sexually assigned surgeries for identified youths.
AAP President Dr. Susan J. Cresley said in a statement Thursday that her organization is “very wary of the report.”
“Although AAP was not consulted on developing this report, our policies and intent behind the recommendations were cited in an inaccurate and misleading way. This report prioritizes opinions on a calm review of the evidence,” Kressly said.
“We urge government officials and policymakers to approach these conversations with a commitment to taking into account the full breadth of peer-reviewed research.”
In recent years there has been considerable debate on how to care for children with gender discomfort, and some medical professionals have advocated for surgical and hormonal processes that support the transideology of minors.
For example, the American Medical Association has said it supports “improve access to gender-affirming care” and claims it is “an important tool for improving health outcomes for the transgender population.”
“Receiving of gender-maintaining care is associated with a dramatic reduction in suicide attempts, a reduction in depression and anxiety, reduced substance use, improved compliance with HIV medications, and lower rates of harmful self-treatment hormone use,” the AMA added.
Last December, the UK National Health Agency began banning the use of adolescent blockers in children indefinitely in the near future, except for use in clinical trials.
“The Human Pharmaceutical Commission (CHM) provides independent expert advice that the ongoing prescribing adolescent blockers to children presents unacceptable safety risks,” the UK Ministry of Health and Social Care announced.
“After finding out that there was insufficient evidence to show that Cass’ reviews are safe, adolescent blockers to treat gender inconsistencies and/or gender discomfort were temporarily banned after discovering that in May 2024, orders will be updated in 2027 to make orders indefinitely and reviewed in 2027.”
The “Cass Review,” commissioned by the NHS as a review of gender identity services for adolescents in 2020, found that “there is no good evidence regarding the long-term outcomes of interventions to manage gender-related distress.” Amid an exponential increase in minors referred to the Tavistock Gender Clinic in the UK, this review urged the NHS to adopt a different service model when it comes to treating gender discomfort.
Hillary Cass, retired former president of Royal College of Pedia Trick and Child Health, led the review.
The report states that using adolescent blockers in children with gender discomfort is beneficial in reducing mental distress and improving the health of young people and young people with gender discomfort,” but “the quality of these studies is poor.”
The HHS report released Thursday provided support for the CASS review, but even research trials suggested that providing hormonal and surgical interventions to young people “unless it suggests a favorable risk/benefit profile for the intervention studied” and “unless it states that it requires researchers to “require foreseeable risks and Baden to be monitored”” and “researchers have evidence to say.”
“Criticism of the CASS review appears to have primarily arisen from motivated supporters of the continued legality of the (pediatric care transition). Criticism has endured misrepresentation of the CASS review and contains multiple de facto errors,” the HHS report states.
“In the UK, the CASS review has been widely accepted as a foundational document for realigning pediatric gender medicine with evidence-based medicine and child protection principles. It has been welcomed by both major UK political parties and has been fully accepted by the NHS for implementation.
In February, the American University of Pediatricians was “a national institution of pediatricians and other medical professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children” with 600 members.
The paper argues that parents and health professionals “a supporter of transgender “transition” in children and adolescents actually contribute to an increase in depression by appearing to validate their children that “something is wrong with their body and biological sex.”
The report’s author, ACP Board member Dr. Jane Anderson, previously told the Christian Post that “the incidence of adolescents participating in this healthcare, who have a previous history of depression, anxiety, autism and other medical or psychological concerns.”
“And these issues need to be addressed first,” she added. “It’s important that they need so desperately to receive mental health services and support.”
Originally published by The Christian Post
