Pediatrician Group Points to 60 Studies Showing Gender Transition Has No Long-Term Benefit

The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) says allowing teens to transition genders socially or medically does not lead to better mental health outcomes for those struggling with gender dysphoria.

In an official position statement titled "Mental Health in Adolescents with Incongruence of Gender Identity and Biological Sex," authors concluded, after reviewing more than 60 studies on the matter, that social transition, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones have no long-term benefit on the psychosocial well-being of adolescents with gender confusion.

"We urge medical professionals and parents to affirm the truth about childhood gender dysphoria in the presence of harmful thoughts and address the underlying mental illness, adverse events, and family dysfunction," lead author of the position statement and Vice President of ACPeds, Dr. Jane Anderson said. 

ACPeds has been pushing back against the pro-transgender message for many years. 

In 2016, the group urged educators and legislators to reject all policies that condition children to believe that identifying with a gender other than their biological one is beneficial.

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Their latest position statement also underscores studies that have already led many European countries to reject transgender interventions in adolescents.  

As CBN News has reported, nations in Europe are now trying to safeguard children by halting gender-altering medical attempts for minors.

Norway has joined Finland and Sweden in adopting or changing policies, signaling a new rejection of adolescent transgender ideology.

The Norwegian Healthcare Investigation Board announced last year plans to revise its guidelines on the use of puberty blockers and gender-reassignment surgeries because there is a lack of medical research to support the use of those protocols.

And one of Australia's largest medical insurers has now refused to cover private practitioners who are prescribing gender-transitioning procedures.

As CBN Digital also reported, England's National Health Service issued guidance to doctors to recognize that minors struggling with their gender identity should be treated with the understanding that "gender incongruence does not persist" past childhood.

Here in the U.S., the ACPeds group said it was "very concerned that parents, along with health care and educational professionals, who support the transgender 'transition' of children and adolescents are, in fact, contributing to increased depression by appearing to validate to the children that 'something is wrong with their body and biological sex'." 

The group went on to say that it "cannot condone the social affirmation, medical intervention, or surgical mutilation of children and adolescents identifying as transgender or gender non-conforming." Instead, ACPeds suggested "intensive psychotherapy for the individual and family to determine and hopefully treat the underlying etiology of their gender incongruence should be pursued." 

Recent studies confirm gender reassignment surgeries are failing to improve the lives of people struggling with their gender identity. 

Instead, these so-called treatments are worsening mental health, contributing to increased feelings of loneliness, and in some cases increasing suicide rates.

In a study published last May, researchers at the University of Hamburg Medical Center found that "transgender and gender diverse people, who have undergone gender reassignment surgery feel lonelier."

And there is a growing movement of individuals who have undergone gender reassignment surgery who are now saying they regret making that decision. 

Chloe Cole is one of the most vocal ex-transgender people speaking out about how she regrets undergoing a double mastectomy. 

In 2022, she filed a lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente alleging that doctors and staff convinced her and her parents that she should undergo treatments by saying that medical transition was the only way to resolve her gender dysphoria and address her high risk of suicide.

She is not the only one suing the medical group. 

Layla Jane was 18 years old when she announced her intent to sue the Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, and three physicians for performing "supervised, and/or advised transgender hormone therapy and surgical intervention" when she was between the ages of 12-17 years old.

Jane was given cross-sex hormones at age 12 and a double mastectomy at 13.

"I don't think I should have been allowed to change my sex before I could legally consent to have sex," she told Fox News. "I don't think I'm better from the experience and I think transition only added fuel to the fire of my preexisting conditions."

ACPeds recent position "affirms the medical fact that the sex of an individual is based upon biology and not upon thoughts or feelings."

"The studies reviewed in this paper demonstrate what many who practice medicine intuitively understand – that young patients experiencing gender dysphoria deserve help in accepting and loving themselves as they are, not interventions that destroy their healthy bodies and put them on track of medicalization for life," said Dr. Michael Artigues, President of ACPeds.