Republican attorneys general called on the American Academy of Pediatrics to withdraw its statement that gender-transition drugs for minors are “reversible,” warning that the policy may run afoul of state consumer-protection laws by misleading patients.
A coalition of 21 state officials told the academy that its 2018 policy statement endorsing “gender-affirmative care” is “not grounded in evidence,” citing research showing that children who take puberty blockers may experience irreversible effects on brain and bone maturation.
The academy reaffirmed its policy in 2023 while announcing that it would undertake a “systematic review of the evidence” on the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures for those under 18.
“Whatever the status of the ’systematic review,’ the AAP continues to mislead and deceive consumers by maintaining its claim that puberty blockers are ’reversible,’” according to the Tuesday letter led by Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador. “That claim is misleading and deceptive and requires immediate retraction and correction.”
The signers, including 20 attorneys general and Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, also called for the academy to produce evidence that puberty-blocking drugs are reversible, given research to the contrary.
The Cass Report, a comprehensive British report on medicalized gender-transition treatment for minors, found that puberty blockers may compromise neurocognitive development and bone density in adolescents.
In addition, the report found that when puberty blockers are followed up with cross-sex hormones, “infertility and sterility is a known consequence, at least for those who begin puberty blockers in early puberty,” the letter said.
After the report’s release in April, the U.K. government health care system banned the use of puberty blockers for minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
“The AAP has no basis to assure parents that giving their children puberty blockers can be fully reversed. It just isn’t true,” the letter said. “That is why the World Health Organization refuses to endorse puberty blockers or otherwise provide treatment guidelines for children with gender dysphoria.”
Children with gender dysphoria deserve love, support, and medical care rooted in biological reality. Parents should be able to trust that a doctor’s medical guidance isn’t just the latest talking point from a dangerous and discredited activist agenda. https://t.co/pTSopvMeSA
— Raúl R. Labrador (@Raul_Labrador) September 24, 2024
The AAP policy statement said that puberty suppression “generally leads to improved psychological functioning in adolescence and young adulthood” of minors with gender dysphoria, but noted that the treatment is “not without risks.”
“Research on long-term risks, particularly in terms of bone metabolism and fertility, is currently limited and provides varied results,” the statement said. “Families often look to pediatric providers for help in considering whether pubertal suppression is indicated in the context of their child’s overall well-being as gender diverse.”
Despite its misgivings, “the AAP continues to authoritatively declare that puberty blockers are ’reversible,’” the letter said.
Mr. Labrador noted that Idaho law prohibits businesses from engaging in activity that is “misleading, false, or deceptive to the consumer.”
“Most other states likewise prohibit making statements to consumers that are false, misleading, or deceptive,” the letter said. “Each of us takes our responsibility to protect consumers in our states very seriously.”
The AAP is considered the nation’s preeminent organization of pediatricians, with 67,000 board-certified members in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The organization said its 2023 decision to authorize the systematic evidence review “reflects the board’s concerns about restrictions to access to health care with bans on gender-affirming care in more than 20 states.”
Twenty-four states, including Idaho, have banned gender-transition drugs and surgeries for those under 18, while Arizona and New Hampshire have banned surgeries, according to the Movement Advancement Project.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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