The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Board of Directors announced last week they are maintaining their 2018 policy statement on gender-affirming care (GAC).
That policy recommends that gender dysphoric minors begin a process of social transition, which can include new names and pronouns – followed by medical interventions such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgery, to resolve a child’s gender-related distress.
While their words may sound confident and considered, the AAP Board’s other announcement actually suggests an undercurrent of uncertainty. Along with reaffirming that existing policy, the AAP revealed its intention to carry out a systematic review of the evidence for pediatric GAC.
This move has perplexed many; how can the AAP endorse GAC before such a review has even taken place, especially when reviews conducted in Sweden, Finland, and the U.K. have found insufficient evidence to support the benefits of GAC, causing them to prioritize psychotherapy over social, hormonal, and surgical transition procedures.
Continue reading the entire piece here at the New York Post
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Colin Wright is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
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