The American College of Pediatricians calls on US medical professional organisations “to follow the science and immediately stop the promotion of social affirmation, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for children and adolescents who experience distress over their biological sex”.

Among the medical associations they include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

The statement has already been signed by dozens of leading US medical experts and endorsed by other organisations representing 75,000 health and medical professionals across the country.

As an alternative, the American College of Pediatricians proposes to “recommend comprehensive evaluations and therapies aimed at identifying and addressing underlying psychological co-morbidities and neurodiversity that often predispose to and accompany gender dysphoria”.

“We also encourage the physicians who are members of these professional organizations to contact their leadership and urge them to adhere to the evidence-based research now available”, they add.

"We are speaking in a loud, unified voice. Enough." @DrJillSimons of ACPeds on the Declaration. Sign today at https://t.co/fcWgwBF5cX pic.twitter.com/gazy4MuXs6

— The American College of Pediatricians (@ACPeds) June 7, 2024

“Serious concerns” about the effects

In the statement, doctors, nurses and psychiatrists, as well as other health professionals and scientific researchers, say they have “serious concerns about the physical and mental health effects of the current protocols promoted for the care of children and adolescents in the United States who express discomfort with their biological sex”.

“Medical decision making should not be based upon an individual’s thoughts and feelings, as in ‘gender identity’ or ‘gender expression’, but rather upon an individual’s biological sex. It should respect biological reality and the dignity of the person by compassionately addressing the whole person”, underlines the statement.

They point out that “the view that sex (male and female) is inadequate and that humans need to be further categorized based on an individual’s thoughts and feelings, does not accommodate the reality of these innate sex differences”, and that “leads to the inaccurate view that children can be born in the wrong body”.

Furthermore, “gender ideology seeks to affirm thoughts, feelings and beliefs, with puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries that harm healthy bodies, rather than affirm biological reality”, they warn.

Wait for “the normal developmental process of puberty”

The signatories say “most children and adolescents whose thoughts and feelings do not align with their biological sex will resolve those mental incongruencies after experiencing the normal developmental process of puberty”.

They also stress that “responsible informed consent is not possible”, because “the adolescent brain’s pre-frontal cortex is immature and is limited in its ability to strategize, problem solve and make emotionally laden decisions that have life-long consequences”.

US paediatricians look to Europe, where some countries have already raised the alarm about gender transition processes in children and have taken action.

“England, Scotland, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland have all recognized the scientific research demonstrating that the social, hormonal and surgical interventions are not only unhelpful but harmful. They have paused protocols and are instead focusing on evaluating and treating the underlying and preceding mental health concerns”, they say.

Strong criticisms against WPATH

In its statement, the American College of Pediatricians criticises the advocacy of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) for what it considers to be “a harmful approach”.

The organisation laments that “sex-trait modification or ‘gender affirming’ clinics in the United States base their treatments upon the ‘standards of Care’ developed by the WPATH”, although “the foundation of its guidelines is demonstrably flawed and pediatric patients can be harmed when subjected to those protocols”.

“There is now sufficient research to further demonstrate the failure of the WPATH, American Academy of Pediatrics and Endocrine Society protocols”, while “health care professionals around the world are also acknowledging the urgent need to protect children from harmful ‘gender-affirming’ interventions” conclude the US paediatricians.

You can read the full statement here.