The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) responds to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for continuing to push false narratives about children struggling with gender dysphoria. ACPeds also issued a press release last week that called AAP out on this unprofessional and unscientific behavior.
AAP has come under fire following an exposé by the Daily Mail newspaper and recent op-eds in the Wall Street Journal that have brought to light, not only evidence that the AAP is pushing puberty-blocking drugs on teens, but also that it has silenced an immense amount of dissent from within its ranks. The AAP responded to these allegations in a Letter to the Editor in the Wall Street Journal on August 21.
Quentin Van Meter, President and Co-Executive Director of ACPeds release the following statement in response:
“As adults and medical professionals, we can and must promote children’s self-worth, and if they are struggling with gender dysphoria, it is our job to help them get to the root cause. As physicians, we have a duty to first do no harm and when possible, to heal. While the AAP is trying to destigmatize gender dysphoria, ACPeds is working to destigmatize gender integrity, the idea that our bodies and minds are made to be an integrated whole. Our minds cannot be separated from our biology. Sufferings such as gender dysphoria need to be met with truth and guidance, not blind ‘affirmation’ of a decision that causes documentable physical and emotional harm.”
Andre Van Mol, Co-Chair of ACPeds’ Council on Adolescent Sexuality responded:
“Scientific and legal reevaluation is fueling an international rebuffing of gender transition interventions of minors in favor of intensive psychological evaluation and support, and lawsuits over the harms of gender transition interventions have begun. Numerous studies show the overwhelming likelihood of some combination of underlying mental health issues, adverse childhood experiences, and dysfunctional family dynamics preceding the diagnosis of gender dysphoria in children, and these issues need addressing. The natural course of gender dysphoria is desistance by adulthood. Examine these realities together and we see the rationale for watchful waiting with strong mental health evaluation and support rather than chemical sterilization and surgical mutilation of children with otherwise healthy bodies. The AAP has not been a thought leader, as they claim, in minimizing gender transition interventions.”
As the Daily Mail piece reports, both this year and last resolutions were introduced by membership that called into question the accuracy and wisdom of following a 2018 AAP Transgender Policy paper. This call for review was approved by 80% of the voting members. Yet, it was never given consideration by the executive leadership and was buried without comment. The membership then made an even stronger resolution for the 2022 Forum, which just concluded. However, the AAP changed its rules and banned any member from the ability to discuss or comment on it, essentially guaranteeing that the resolution would fail.
The American College of Pediatricians is a national group of doctors, scientists, and medical professionals who work to promote life-affirming and scientifically sound treatments for children and young people.
