A doctors group is urging the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) to reevaluate its support for extreme transgender treatments performed on children.
The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds), in a press release Thursday, said it was "disappointed that the AAP has reaffirmed its support for transgender interventions on minors."
"There is lack of any significant clinical evidence and a lack of long-term positive outcomes for children treated with puberty blocking drugs, sex hormones, and transgender interventions," the ACPeds statement said. "Additionally, it is a known fact that gender dysphoria resolves in most minors who are allowed to go through puberty. We reaffirm our position that these interventions are scientifically unproven and amount to child abuse.
"The AAP must take into account the mounting scientific evidence against transgender interventions on minors which has led some countries, including the U.K., Finland, and Sweden to pull back their support for such interventions."
The AAP reaffirmed its support for gender-transition medical care for transgender children in a statement last week, even as the treatments face a growing push for bans and restrictions from Republican lawmakers across the U.S.
The treatments include irreversible surgery and synthetic hormone usage.
The ACPeds Thursday statement added that it was "encouraged that the AAP is open to re-evaluating its position."
Still, the AAP said it had authorized the "development of an expanded set of guidance for pediatricians" pending a review of clinical research that has arisen in the past five years.
The ACPeds statement also said, "There is no scientifically robust evidence to support transgender interventions on minors. Existing evidence reveals harms, not benefits of such interventions."
The group statement linked to two resources: "Transgender Interventions Harm Children" and "The Teenage Brain: Under Construction."
Several European countries recently have issued prohibitions against transgender surgeries performed on children, citing scant evidence and long-term risks associated with the procedures.
The ACPeds' website describes the group as a national organization of pediatricians and other health care professionals "dedicated to the health and well-being of children."
"The ACPeds is a scientific medical association of healthcare professionals that advocates for policies that promote the optimal health and well-being of children," the website says.
"Although our members are often cited and interviewed by conservative publications, the ACPeds is not a religious or political organization; it does not inquire about or use an individual’s religious or political identification as criteria for membership."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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