A Trump administration report on healthcare for transgender children did not reveal the names of the authors to maintain the integrity of a post-publication peer review process.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the 400-page document known as "Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices" on Thursday.
Report on Healthcare for Transgender Children
However, the agency did not disclose the names of the review's authors and did not initially provide details about their professional backgrounds and affiliations. Currently, the approach for transgender youth is to affirm a young person's gender identity and give their family the option of medical interventions, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
The latest report describes that this particular approach is fundamentally misguided. The authors, who were not named, concluded that doctors and clinics that provide gender-affirming care have "fallen short of their duty to prioritize the health interests of young patients," according to NPR.
In a statement, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller used the term "barbaric" to describe gender-affirming medical interventions. He added that these violate all "sound medical ethics" and are completely unwarranted.
On the other hand, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Susan Kressly, said the organization was deeply concerned about the new HHS document that was released. She said that the report misrepresents the current medical consensus, noting that it fails to reflect the realities of pediatric care.
Additionally, major medical groups and people who treat transgender young people sharply criticized the HHS report. The document comes after President Donald Trump's executive order that says the federal government must not support gender transitions for anyone aged under 19 years, the Associated Press reported.
Protecting Young Children
National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said that they have to protect children and not expose them to unproven and irreversible medical interventions. He added that they need to follow the gold standard of science and not activist agendas.
The HHS report also promoted psychotherapy as a "non-invasive" alternative for transgender children's healthcare. However, this drew pushback from the LGBTQ+ community, with advocates saying the proposal amounted to "conversion therapy."
The situation comes as other countries, such as the United Kingdom, have implemented restrictions on transgender youth care. UK health officials cited similar and highly disputed evidence review to issue a ban on puberty blockers.
The HHS report also said that the evidence for the benefit of pediatric medical transition is very uncertain while noting that the evidence for harm is less uncertain, as per the Washington Post.
