ANOTHER LOOK

Pediatricians’ Group to Re-Examine Guidelines on Gender Affirming Care

The decision comes amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation sweeping red states across the country.

The country’s premier medical association for pediatricians plans to hold an external review of its recommendations on providing gender-affirming care for transgender children, with their decision potentially impacting the way that youth access medical interventions like puberty blockers and hormones. The process, called a systematic evidence review, will be conducted by a yet-to-be-announced third party, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the decision by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The organization’s board held their vote Thursday amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation sweeping red states across the country, with many Republicans going so far as to say that the entire concept of gender affirming care should be done away with. AAP Chief Executive Mark Del Monte acknowledged the political climate in a statement to the WSJ, saying that the decision to hold a systematic review “reflects the fact that the board is very concerned about the restrictions.” The AAP released its current policy statement on gender-affirming care in 2018.