Yarrr! Them landlubbin' pediatricians be ignorin' three ancient words whilst talkin' 'bout transgender wee ones!
2023-08-17
Arrr, me mateys! Thar be news from the American Academy of Pediatrics. They be stickin' to their guns on the matter of young'uns with gender dysphoria. No changin' course, me hearties!
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently reaffirmed its 2018 position on youth with gender dysphoria while also calling for a systematic review of the evidence regarding how to treat these children. While the authors of this article agree with the AAP's 2018 report on protecting transgender and gender diverse youth from discrimination and violence, they believe that the report does not adhere to the principle of "do no harm." The report recommends comprehensive and gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth, including hormonal treatments and surgeries. However, the authors argue that this push for medical interventions without sufficient evidence of their benefits is causing potential harm to young people and eroding trust in the US medical system.The authors highlight the lack of evidence supporting current treatments for pediatric gender transition. They mention a survey that is often cited by proponents of gender transitions for minors, the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, which has several methodological flaws including the exclusion of detransitioners and cherry-picking of respondents. Despite these flaws, the survey has been used to justify the increase in medical treatment for gender-questioning youth.
The authors also raise concerns about the financial incentives behind the promotion of gender-affirming treatments. They mention that the same physician author who used the survey in a 2020 Pediatrics paper also used it in a 2022 paper funded by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, which receives financial support from pharmaceutical companies that produce hormones used in gender transitions.
In conclusion, the authors call for transparency, thoroughness, and honesty in the AAP's systematic review of the evidence. They also urge the AAP to address the potential over-treatment in the past and to uphold the principle of "do no harm."