As the current administration stresses the necessity of transgender treatments, it is important to remember what science says about them.

From The Federalist. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is currently considering publishing regulations that will push for potentially irreversible medical and surgical interventions for people with gender dysphoria in the name of health care. In April, HHS Assistant Secretary Rachel L. Levine stated “gender affirming care is medical care” and included children and adolescents in that equation.

View Comments (5)

Visit your state page to pray.

Levine also reaffirmed a principle articulated by Hippocrates that physicians should do no harm. Can a physician provide interventions like potentially sterilizing hormones and surgeries for children and adolescents without doing harm? Research on adolescent brain development and decision-making indicates these two concepts are contradictory….

The American College of Pediatricians, of which I am a board member, just published a new position statement entitled “The Teenage Brain: Under Construction” with research showing that adolescents’ brains are not developed enough to make sound decisions, and this should inform potential medical and surgical interventions on minors with gender dysphoria because of their lifelong consequences.

Neuroscientists studying decision-making have found adolescents are much more likely to rely upon emotions and peer pressure and less likely to consider future consequences….

Given this research on the immature processing that occurs in the adolescent brain, it is crucial that adults assist with decision-making, especially those decisions that involve lifelong consequences.  Practically, this means that adolescents who are struggling with gender dysphoria should not be allowed to make decisions that contribute to permanent, unnecessary surgical procedures, mutilation, and infertility.

The research on brain development indicates that adolescents should wait until they are 25 before attempting to make such significant decisions with lifelong consequences. This would mitigate the potential influence of peer pressure and emotions, while allowing the adolescent to experience natural puberty and associated hormonal influences on brain development. When allowed to do so, 85 to 90 percent of adolescents with gender identity concerns will accept their biological sex….

What did you think of this article? Share it to raise awareness of what the science says about transitioning children.

(Excerpt from The Federalist. Photo Credit: Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash)